The Munk Debates Podcast (Munk Foundation / iHeartRadio)

For the protesters and their supporters, the pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations across the globe are part of a proud tradition of student activism that includes the anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1960s, and the calls to end South African Apartheid in the 1980s. And just as those past protests are now widely accepted to have been on the right side of history, today’s campus protesters are confident that history will prove their cause was just. 

Critics disagree. They say the protesters have often downplayed or made excuses for Hamas’ murderous attack on Oct. 7; that the demonstrators fail to consider the complexity of a conflict that cannot be simplified into simple binary terms; and that some of the protesters have indulged in violent and hateful rhetoric towards Israelis and Jews. 

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Ben Burgis. He’s a columnist with Jacobin and an adjunct philosophy professor at Rutgers University.

Arguing against the resolution is James Kirchick. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. He’s also a columnist for Tablet magazine, and a writer at large for Air Mail.

SOURCES:

Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students, WPA Film Library, Getty Images, ABC 7 New York, The Hill. 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice start the show by talking about Donald Trump's personal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Are business opportunities in Russia causing the US to abandon its allies and European partners? The long term consequence of this - depriving the US of any legitimacy among Democratic states - is catastrophic. Rudyard and Janice then turn to Taiwan and the South China Sea where Xi Jinping is taking advantage of USAID's closure to leverage Chinese money and gain influence abroad. In the absence of American power and pressure, can the Chinese leader get the territory he has long sought without military force?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

A Facebook algorithm that tracks posts for suicidal thoughts; an app that monitors the speed of keyboard strokes for signs of depression; a computer program that analyzes our facial expressions and tone of voice when we FaceTime. These are a few of the thousands of algorithms tracking our mental health that some experts say could revolutionize how we diagnose and treat mental illness. They say that our 24/7 use of digital devices is generating a goldmine of information about our mental state that must be accessible to mental health practitioners if psychiatric medicine is to operate like a scientific discipline in the 21st century. Instagram posts, text logs, Google searches, and GPS data, and not psychiatrists’ observations and intuitions based on conversation, offer the detail and time stamped precision we need to generate tailored and effective treatments to the millions of individuals who desperately need help in the post pandemic world. Critics say the problems with this big data approach go far beyond the obvious privacy issues that come with outsourcing mental health monitoring to digital monopolies like Google and Apple. The push for mental health algorithms reflects a reductive view of human emotions that undermines the strengths of the traditionally human centred field of psychiatric medicine. Diagnoses based on dialogue between two individuals and grounded in intuition and empathy will always be better than machine intelligence at drawing out the personal histories that explain trauma and generate helpful treatment. Engaging machines to address the mental health crisis is nothing but a quick fix solution that only helps the deeply underresourced health systems of our world today.

Arguing for the motion is Daniel Barron, Medical Director of the Interventional Pain Psychiatry Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and the author of the recently published book Reading Our Minds: The Rise of Big-Data Psychiatry.

Arguing against the motion is Gerhard Gründer, Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Department for Molecular Neuroimaging at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany. He is the author of How Do We Want to Live?

Sources: CBSDFW, CBS Boston, The Doctors Company

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Producer: Nicole Edwards

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This is a special edition of the Munk Member’s podcast focusing on the extraordinary series of developments in Eastern Europe that have culminated with Russian troops invading Ukraine triggering the largest ground war in Europe since WWII. In this episode Janice and Rudyard are joined by U.S. security expert Joshua Rovner, Associate Professor at the School of International Service of the American University in Washington, D.C.. Joshua walks Janice and Rudyard through the different risks that could escalate the conflict in the coming days from cyber to conventional forces to nuclear.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Falling wages. Failing infrastructure. Soaring public debts. Many believe that America’s future looks anything but bright. Stark ideological and partisan divisions have fractured the country at home while a string of failed foreign military interventions have soured Americans on the country’s role as defender of the liberal international order. Add in exploding disparities between rich and poor, a bungled pandemic response, and lacklustre economic growth and you have all the markers of a country in decline. Others argue that betting against America has always been a losing proposition. Declinists fail to account for the country’s amazing ability to adapt and re-invent itself time and time again. From world beating technological innovations in Silicon Valley to vaccine breakthroughs to the frontiers of commercial space exploration, America has proven it can rise to meet new challenges and opportunities. The strength of its diversity, size of its population, its entrepreneurial drive, military might, and financial prowess all ensure its continued dominance as a global power in the 21st century. In a world beset with authoritarian regimes, statist economies and the absence of human liberty, America will remain a powerful magnet for talented people the world over committed to democracy and freedom.

Arguing for the motion is Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator of the Financial Times and author of Easternization: Asia's Rise and America's Decline From Obama to Trump and Beyond.

Arguing against the motion is Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of America vs the West: Can the Liberal World Order Be Preserved?

QUOTES:

GIDEON RACHMAN

“I've never seen the country in the state it's in now...it seems to me to be of a different order and one that does raise quite profound questions about the enduring success of the American experiment.” 

KORI SCHAKE

“Don’t underestimate the loud raucous conflictual way America solves its problems... that’s how we have traditionally clawed our way towards being a better republic and I believe that continues to happen now.”

Sources: The Hill, CNET, Global News, CNN, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, Thames TV, ABC

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Are we headed for a recession?

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, economist David Rosenberg and former Bush economic advisor Pippa Malmgren debate the motion be it resolved, the next recession is sooner than you think.

SOURCES: CBS, Bloomberg, CNBC.

It has become one of the more divisive topics in today’s culture wars: what to do with the statues of historical figures with controversial pasts. And while many can agree that the monuments of Robert E Lee and Edward Colston should not stand in city centres, the debate becomes murkier when the likes of Winston Churchill, John A MacDonald, Queen Victoria, and Abraham Lincoln enter the fray. Those calling for statues to come down and streets to be renamed argue that this is not a case of ‘cancel culture’. Rather, it is an overdue re-examination of past heroes and their subjugation of marginalized groups. Those who promoted racist and imperialist policies in their time should not be given the privilege of public glorification in ours. Others argue that social justice “mobs” are ignoring the context in which these transgressions took place, viewing history through a distorted lens comprised of their own values and assumptions and purposely rewriting the past to serve their ideological purposes today. If progressives succeed in their purity purge we will be left with no heroes, no history, and no nuanced understanding of our own past.

Arguing for the motion is Cornell William Brooks, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School and a former President of the NAACP.

Arguing against the motion is George F Will, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for the Washington Post and author of American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent.

QUOTES:

CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS

“When you have commemoration, as opposed to education, it leads to misinformation. And it literally debilitates our ability to grapple with the past in order to come to grips with the present.”

GEORGE WILL

“My worry is about the question of control. I don't want to control the past. I want the past to be faced as what it was, and not controlled for any political agenda, good, bad or indifferent."

Sources: City News, CTV, Washington Post, ABC, WPRI, 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses three stories in the news: now that the Afghan withdrawal is complete will the West forget the people of Afghanistan? What do we owe our Afghan allies who remain trapped in the country? Why is there no discussion of foreign policy in the Canadian election. Are we really this provincial as a country? And, the Chinese government cracks down on online tutors and video gaming. What is behind Beijing’s new found animosity towards Big Tech?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, what should we be making of the last week of frenetic negotiations over the fate and future of Ukraine and Russia’s security demands in Eastern Europe? Was meaningful progress made in defusing the risk of an invasion? Or, are we closer to an outbreak of hostilities that we realize? Second, the convoy of truckers descending on Ottawa is making international news. Is this a sign that populism is alive and well in Canada after all? And why are our political leaders of all stripes ramping up the rhetoric on the convoy, vaccine mandates and risk of violence at a moment when calmer heads and hearts are clearly needed?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Is capitalism broken?

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, David Brooks and Arthur Brooks square off against Yanis Varoufakis and Katrina vanden Heuvel to debate the motion be it resolved, the capitalist system is broken. It's time to try something different.

Ukraine is in ruins. Casualties are piling up on both sides. And western sanctions don’t seem to be working. As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 20th month, experts fear that a negotiated settlement will not be reached anytime soon. On this Munk Dialogue, we’re joined by one of the world’s leading realist thinkers in international relations, Stephen Walt, to talk about some surprising developments that have emerged from this conflict, and why it could drag on for much longer than anyone had anticipated.

SOURCES: PBS, ABC News

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

 The economic powerhouses in today’s economy are middlemen like Amazon and Walmart, a reality that has been exacerbated in the pandemic. So argues Kathryn Judge, author of the new book, DIRECT: The Rise of the Middleman Economy and the Power of going to the Source. In it, Judge says that we are trading convenience for long (and fragile) supply chains with often unethical sources. She argues a more just and fair economy is within our grasp, if we take small actions to be conscious consumers and go to the source more often. This will not only create a more resilient economy but also help us live more connected and fulfilling lives.

QUOTES:

“They're changing the rules of the game in ways that protect what they're doing, and it also allows them to take a bigger cut over time that often has blocked innovations that could reduce their power. So part of the challenge is first of all drawing attention to this allows us to say individually like, "Where are we making decisions that don't suit us?"” 

Kathryn Judge 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan

Editor: Adam Karch

2023 is here, and with it come new year's resolutions, a new congress, and the unofficial start date for 2024 primary campaigning.  Joe Biden’s first two years in office have certainly been a bit of a mixed bag.  He has passed some monumental, bipartisan legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Bill, and COVID aid.  But he’s also had quite a few bobbles.  Afghanistan, Student Debt Relief, and a bleak economic landscape.  All of this begs the question, is Biden really the best person to lead Democrats into the 2024 election? Some beltway insiders and political pundits argue that in spite of Biden’s weaknesses, he has a track record to point to that will appeal to voters. His record of bipartisan accomplishments will help hold together the coalition that delivered him the White House in 2020, including moderate suburban and independent swing voters.  And the results of the midterms show, the democrats are in the driver’s seat.  Why fix something that isn’t broken? But others argue it’s time for Biden to pass the baton and bow out of the race.  Biden is too old to run let alone govern, and his approval rating is marred in the low 40s.  There is a new crop of democratic talent that has emerged since 2020, and given Biden’s political baggage, each of them has a better chance of securing the presidency in 2024.

Arguing for the motion is Allan Lichtman, Former chair and distinguished professor in History at American University in Washington, DC.  He is the author of several award winning books on American and presidential history, and his prediction system, the Keys to the White House, has correctly predicted the outcomes of all US presidential elections since 1984.

Arguing against the motion is Ross Barkan, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and New York Magazine.

Speaker Quotes 

Allan Lichtman: “Substantively and politically, he should run again. The unheralded Joe Biden has achieved the greatest record of domestic accomplishments since the 1960s”.

Ross Barkan:  Joe Biden is going to be the nominee if he runs. No one is going to challenge Joe Biden. The party has coalesced around Biden, but parties don't always make the right decision”.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis

Editor: Adam Karch 

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on the big geopolitical story of the moment, the growing risk of a military invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the potential for a sweeping U.S. and NATO response. How did this week’s high stakes negotiations end up? Are we closer to war now than before talks started? What are the potential off-ramps for Russia and America to defuse the conflict? And if there is an invasion what are risks for all sides in the first major hot war in Europe in a generation?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Is Trump winning the global trade war?

One this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Jason Furman squares off against Alan Tonselson to debate the motion be it resolved, tariffs are terrific.

SOURCES: CNN, AFP

On November 3rd four debaters will take to the stage at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall to debate the crisis of liberalism.

The motion is Be it Resolved, liberalism gets the big questions right. 

On this Munk Dialogue, we are speaking with each of the debaters who are taking part in this important and timely debate, to get a sense of their arguments and what we can expect from them on stage at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on November 3rd.

Arguing for the motion is the controversial British M.P. and former cabinet minister, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. He will be joined by the American writer and columnist who has shaped a generation’s thinking on the important issues of our time: George F. Will.

Opposing the motion is U.K. journalist, self-avowed communist and popular leftist thinker, Ash Sarkar. Her debating partner is the disruptive and thought-provoking American social conservative, Sohrab Ahmari, author of the bestseller Tyranny Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. 

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard dig into the two big tech stories in the news over the last seven days. First up, what is happening to Twitter as Elon Musk moves forward with mass layoffs? Will his warnings of the potential bankruptcy of the company come true?

The donors only second half of the program explores the lessons learned from the collapse of one of the world’s two big cryptocurrency exchanges, FTX. Is it time to pull the plug on deregulated cryptocurrencies and move toward state backed digital assets? What are the risks and rewards involved in creating a central bank issued “stable” coin? 

To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Thanks to their sheer numbers, Baby Boomers have always had an outsize effect on politics and policy. When they were young and liberal, society became more liberal. As they got older and more conservative, conservatism made a comeback. 

So, given their power over the decades, how much blame do Boomers deserve for society’s current problems?

Many younger people look at the political and economic choices Boomers have made over the course of their lives, and they see a selfish generation that has taken care of itself at the expense of everyone else. 

They point to many examples: Housing policy that has increased Boomer wealth but left homes out of reach for young people; governments that opened up the coffers when Boomers were in school but now cry poor, leaving today’s students riddled with debt; and a purging of the planet's resources that has accelerated the effects of climate change.

But Boomers are fighting back against the attacks on their record. Many of them argue that their critics conveniently forget some of the challenges Boomers faced when they were young and life back then wasn’t nearly as rosy as millennials seem to think. Boomers fought hard for social and political changes that today’s youth take for granted.

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Eric Lombardi. He's an opinion writer and contributor to The Hub and the Toronto Star. 

Arguing against the resolution is Sean O’Grady. He is the Associate Editor of the Independent UK, where he writes editorials and columns about politics and economics.

SOURCES: MSNBC,  Five-Thirty-Eight

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

Vote on who you think won this debate on our website www.munkdebates.com. 

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 50+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three stories in the news: China introduces sweeping new virus controls as delta variant outbreaks happen in multiple cities; are we seeing the limits of China’s lockdown heavy COVID control strategy? What could be the effects on global economic recovery if China can’t fight off the delta threat? And, how worried should we be about the possibility of an “omega” strain that evade vaccines completely? – Two of Afghanistan’s major cities are battling large scale Taliban military incursions with possibly thousands of civilian deaths occurring already; is a complete Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a possibility? Or, is a collapse back into outright civil war the more likely outcome? And, what is the West’s responsibility after spending two decades and trillion dollars to supposedly “rebuild” Afghanistan? – Iran swears in a new hardline President; what does the elevation of Ebrahim Raisi to president of Iran foretell for the region, Israel’s policy towards Iran, and the Biden administration’s efforts to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast digs into three stories in the news. First, what does Republican win in the Virginia’s gubernatorial race say about the state and future of Joe Biden’s presidency? Second, COP26 is wrapping up with some meaningful pledges, but why is the conference coming up short in terms of instilling its sense of urgency about the threat climate change among the broader public? And finally, we discuss Canada’s big pledge at COP26 or capping oil sands emissions by 2025. Is it fair Western Canada bears the brunt of the country’s climate mitigation efforts?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

The free portion of the program sees Janice and Rudyard discuss the machinations behind OPEC’s snub of the Biden Administration as the oil-producing cartel cuts its global output. What does this surprise move say about Saudi Arabia and its relationship with Russia and China? How is the U.S. likely to respond?

The donors-only second half of the show features a discussion of China-U.S. competition and Beijing’s big leadership confab next week that will see Xi appointed to an unprecedented third term as the country’s leader.  

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The last Munk Member’s podcast for 2022 pulls out the crystal ball, polishes it to a fine gloss and make a series of bold prediction about the events and issues that will shape the year head. Will Russia invade Ukraine? Is Iran likely to go nuclear and unveil an atomic weapon? Is a universal vaccine for COVID in the cards that would finally put an end to the pandemic? And, how will cyber weapons and cyber warfare shape international relations and global security in 2022? Janice and Rudyard discuss it all.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Member’s podcast explores three important stories in the news this week: Somber Olympics kicks off in Japan as the nation battle delta variant outbreak; why is the mood of this Olympics different from past summer games? Is it the lack of crowds? The strain of the pandemic on athletes? Or, a host nation that has bigger problems on its plate in the form of a the delta variant? – The Chinese government wipes out a trillion dollars of stock value off its high flying domestic tech companies with threats of new regulations; what is behind this move on the part of the Communist Party? Are we seeing the beginnings of the “splinternet” as China takes control of its tech titans to mold a made in Beijing global world wide web? – And, millions in Australia have strict lockdowns continued to suppress delta variant spread. Is this sign of the failure of Australia’s COVID zero policies? Or, can the spread of delta be stopped by punitive lockdown measures including calling out the military to enforce public health controls? We discuss it all.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It’s a debate as old as time: when it comes to a household pet, which four legged furball makes the best companion? On one side, we have the independent, low maintenance feline, she who is quiet and clean. The cat isn’t needy; she gives her humans personal space and can walk herself, thank you very much. Unlike the too-eager dog, winning a cat’s affection takes time, patience, and trust. It’s a hard-fought battle which makes its victory that much more special. On the other side, we have man’s best friend. The ultimate companion, the dog is happy, affectionate and attentive. He protects the house and defends his humans. And, perhaps most importantly, he’s always up for a snuggle. Research shows dogs are better for your health: dog owners are less lonely, have fewer mental health issues, and get more exercise. When searching for a pet companion, dog enthusiasts claim, canines beat out cats in every category that counts. 

Arguing for the motion is Aaron Hancox. He’s a filmmaker who has produced three documentaries about cats including the award-winning film Catwalk: Tales From the Cat Show Circuit

Arguing against the motion is Alexandra Horowitz. She’s a professor of canine cognition at Barnard College and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This week we are airing a special edition of the Munk Debates Podcast—a rebroadcast of a classic debate that launched our series on the world stage. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and the late Christopher Hitchens - an avowed atheist - debating the motion Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast we are sharing the opening statements from the Munk Debate on anti-Zionism, which took place on June 17th in front of a sold out crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.

The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, anti-Zionism is antisemitism

Arguing for the motion was award winning journalist, best-selling author, and former Munk Debater Douglas Murray. His debate partner was Natasha Hausdorff. She’s an attorney, international law expert, and legal director for the UK Lawyer for Israel Charitable Trust.

Opposing the resolution was Mehdi Hasan. Mehdi is a best-selling author, former MSNBC anchor, and the CEO and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo. He was joined on stage by the award winning Israeli journalist and Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy.

As with all our live Munk Debates, the audience voted on this resolution prior to hearing the debate. Initially, 61% of attendees were in favour of the debate motion, and 39% were opposed.

We did another poll after the debate to find out how many people had changed their minds once they listened to arguments from both sides. 

The full 90 minute debate is available exclusively to Munk Donors. Find out how to become a Munk Donor here.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

For decades, the two-state solution has been held up as the best chance for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. But in the aftermath of October 7th, and the security risks posed by a potential Palestinian state in the West Bank, most Israelis are souring on the two-state vision.

A few Israeli leaders, however, still believe it is the only viable path forward.

On this Munk Dialogue, we’re joined by one of the country’s biggest proponents for peace. Gilead Sher was Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and served as a senior negotiator at the Camp David summit in 2000, which ultimately failed in its objective to lay the groundwork for a sovereign Palestinian State. Now, he is acting as a representative for the families of the hostages in Gaza as they desperately seek the return of their loved ones after more than 150 days in captivity. Gilead argues that in spite of everything that has unfolded over the past five months, a two-state solution remains the best - and indeed only - way to achieve safety, security, and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

In 2015, the world’s leaders attempted to address the major problems facing mankind by setting the Sustainable Development Goals, a compilation of 169 targets to be hit by 2030. On this Munk Dialogue, we’re joined by Bjorn Lomborg, President of The Copenhagen Consensus, who argues that we need a total rethink in how we tackle and overcome our biggest challenges.  This new strategy, the culmination of a partnership between several Nobel laureates and more than a hundred leading economists, aims to deliver important targets - such as ending world hunger and the eradication of disease killers like tuberculosis and malaria - thereby saving 4 million kids every year and creating economic benefits worth one trillion dollars. In our discussion, Bjorn narrows down a few high impact, low cost solutions that will deliver real world results.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focus on two important stories in the news. First up, the return of the “two Michael’s” and what this says about the past, present and future of Canada’s relationship with China and the brewing energy crisis in China and Europe. Janice and Rudyard discuss the three important takeaways from China’s return of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Does the end resolution of this diplomatic crisis herald a reset in Canada-China relations or a return to closer ties? And second, as coal, gas and oil prices surge globally, are we collectively at risk of a 1970s style energy crisis? What will the effect be on inflation and the climate change fight as renewables struggle to keep up global power demand?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

About thirty years ago, the world seemed to be entering what President George H.W. Bush called “a new world order” – a world where capitalism was victorious, global trade would discourage countries from going to war, and authoritarianism would slowly give way to liberal democracy. 

It hasn’t worked out that way. 

How did such a hopeful moment in history slip through our fingers? That’s the subject of the book New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West, by David E. Sanger, our guest on this Munk Dialogue. Sanger is the White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, where he has worked as a reporter for more than four decades. 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members only podcast, featuring Janice Gross Stein and Rudyard Griffiths, focuses on three stories in the news this week: why was last night’s federal election debate in Canada such a disaster? What can we do to actually organise debates that work for voters? How are we to read the smoke signals the Taliban are sending to the international community with the announcement of a hardline governing cabinet? And, what does Angela Merkel’s political exit from stage left mean for the future of Europe? We discuss it all.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It was a nail-biter, but just days before the UK formally severed its forty-seven-year long membership with the European Union, negotiators finally landed a trade deal that takes some of the sting out of Brexit. But critics of Prime Minister Boris Johnson say that Britain will never recover from its decision to go it alone, even with an EU trade deal to soften the impact. The loss of seamless access to the world’s single largest trading bloc is bound to lead to declining exports and foreign investment in the UK and a brain drain of human talent that will impact every aspect of British life. They argue that the isolationary Brexit mindset and uncertainty around the terms of the new relationship with the European Common Market is the opposite of what the UK and world need to tackle the challenges of the post COVID global reality. Brexit supporters are much more optimistic. They argue that regaining control of British sovereignty, including national laws and regulations, trade, and international borders, will lead to a surge in economic activity in the post Brexit era. Freed of stifling bureaucracy and the sclerotic economic realities of present day Europe, Britain can and will return to its roots of being one of the world's great trading nations. 

Arguing for the motion is Patrick Minford, professor of Applied Economics at Cardiff University in Wales and chair of Economists for Free Trade. He is a former adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the author of After Brexit, What Next? Trade, Regulation and Economic Growth. 

Arguing against the motion is Ian Goldin, former Vice-President of the World Bank, advisor to Nelson Mandela, and a professor at Oxford University. He is the author of many books about globalisation, most recently Terra Incognita: One hundred maps to survive the next 100 years.

Sources: ABC, France 24, BBC, Sky News, KPIX CBS, Bloomberg

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

For detailed show notes on the episode, head to https://munkdebates.com/podcast.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Producer: Marilyn Mazurek

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

We have never been more polarized. Echo chambers promote information that confirms people’s preconceived notions, regardless of whether the facts presented are true. Which is why journalists are so important to a functioning democracy: we need them to cut through rampant misinformation and deliver fact-based reporting.  

But do you need journalism schools to do that? Some writers consider j-schools a waste of time: they argue that four years of expensive education would be better used learning on the job, or gaining expertise in a particular subject that you could then report on with some authority. 

Others argue the opposite: They say shrinking revenue makes resource-starved media outlets poorly equipped to mentor young journalists the way they used to. If you want a new generation of reporters whose work is rigorous, professional, and trusted by the public, journalism schools are essential. 

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Kevin D. Williamson, national correspondent at The Dispatch.

Arguing against the resolution is Christina Bellantoni, Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Will Liberal Democracy survive the century?

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, historian Niall Ferguson and academic Michael Ignatieff debate the motion be it resolved, liberal democracy will not survive the 21st century

SOURCES: CNN, CTV NEWS, EXPRESS UK, SKY NEWS, HETEREDOX ACADEMY, DAILY WIRE, FOX NEWS

Will Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran force them back to the bargaining table, or are increased sanctions destabilizing the region and making the world a more dangerous place?

In this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Mark Dubowitz and Robert Malley debate the motion Be it resolved, Trump’s sanctions regime is the right response to Iran’s regional ambitions.

SOURCES: CNN, ABC, NBC, New York Times, whitehouse.gov

With the debut of ChatGPT, the AI once promised in some distant future seems to have suddenly arrived with the potential to reshape our working lives, culture, politics and society. For proponents of AI, we are entering a period of unprecedented technological change that will boost productivity, unleash human creativity and empower billions in ways we have only begun to fathom. Others think we should be very concerned about the rapid and unregulated development of machine intelligence. For their detractors, AI applications like ChatGPT herald a brave new world of deep fakes and mass propaganda that could dwarf anything our democracies have experienced to date. Immense economic and political power may also concentrate around the corporations who control these technologies and their treasure troves of data. Finally, there is an existential concern that we could, in some not-so-distant future, lose control of powerful AIs who, in turn, pursue goals that are antithetical to humanity’s interests and our survival as a species.

Arguing for the motion is Yoshua Bengio, one of the leading worldwide experts on AI whose pioneering work in deep learning earned him the 2018 Turing Award, often referred to as “the Nobel Prize of Computing. Yoshua’s debate partner is Max Tegmark, an internationally renowned cosmologist, global leader in machine learning research, and a professor at the M.I.T. 

Arguing against the motion is Yann Lecun. Yann is an acclaimed computer scientist of mobile robotics and computational neuroscience, the Silver Professor of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at N.Y.U. and Vice-President, Chief AI Scientist at Meta. His debate partner is Melanie Mitchell, a bestselling author and world-leading expert in the various fields of artificial intelligence and cognitive science at the Santa Fe Institute.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

First the banning of headscarves in France’s public schools. Then prohibitions against full face coverings and religious worship in public spaces, and most recently legislation that targets Islamic fundamentalism. And in Quebec, a former colony of France, the outlawing of religious symbols in government workplaces, including schools. These are some of the strong measures that France and Quebec have taken to enforce the separation of church and state that is characteristic of Western democracies. Proponents of secularism, or laïcité as it is called in France, say that secularism promotes healthy democracies by ensuring that competing religious loyalties do not undermine the full equality and free speech necessary to be good citizens. Furthermore, secularism protects religions by providing a framework where believers and non-believers alike can privately and peacefully co-habitate. What secularism cannot tolerate is politicized religion, which secularists say we are witnessing with the rise of Islamism. They argue that this politicized form of Islam threatens democratic ideals in exactly the same way that the Catholic church undermined the French Republic at the beginning of the last century, and must be opposed just as aggressively. The lengths to which France and Quebec are willing to go to promote their vision of a secular society has provoked an international outcry. Critics argue that modern day secularism is not a neutral policy, but a form of disguised colonialism that targets religious and racialized communities, in particular followers of Islam. They argue that the activist secularist policies we are witnessing right now are based on simplistic ideas about the Muslim faith, such as the assumption that oppression of women is an essential feature of Islam, and that Muslim communities do not adapt or integrate when they join new communities. Prohibiting religious expression is undemocratic and illiberal, a denial of fundamental rights that enrich societies. Rather than supporting peaceful and productive democracies, secularism is another form of fundamentalism that sows the seeds for extremism and terrorism.

Arguing for the motion is Caroline Fourest, a journalist, film maker, and expert on French secularism. She is the author of many best-selling books in France, including The Genius of Secularism.

Arguing against the motion is John Bowen, who is Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of numerous books about Islam including Why the French Don’t Like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public Space.

Sources: AFP News Agency, France 24, CBC, Al Jazeera, TVO, Euronews, Wall Street Journal

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Research: Charlotte Fay

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard open the show with a discussion of the reports of the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in a fiery plane crash outside Moscow. What does the latest and seemingly last act in the Prigozhin-Putin drama say about elite power in Russia? Is Putin’s position further secured by Prigozhin’s exit or is intra-regime strife entering a new and more dangerous phase? The second half of the program explores a wild week in US conservative politics with the first GOP debate, all-time record-high broadcast audience numbers for Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson, and the arraignment of the former president in Georgia on felony state charges. What does it all say about the state of US politics as the country soon starts the one-year countdown to the 2024 presidential vote?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Democracies are in trouble from South Korea to France to the U.S., where voters have lost trust in political elites, especially in France where the blowback to Macron's brand of politics has made room for the ascendency of the far-right under Marine Le Pen. Rudyard and Janice then turn their focus to the U.S. where President Biden has conferred an unconditional pardon on his son Hunter Biden, with speculation that he might pardon any politician or civil servant who could face prosecution from a vengeful Trump administration. This controversial move would be unwise, Rudyard argues, setting a dangerous precedent and confirming voters' suspicions that elites are not subject to the same consequences as everyone else. In the final moments of the show Ruydyard and Janice turn to Syria, where rebels have renewed their offensive against the Assad regime and taken over key battleground areas. Could this successful push have anything to do with Iran's weakening in the region, as a result of Israel's military successes against its proxies? 

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Janice and Rudyard discuss how the conflict has escalated over the last ten days and why Western countries have moved so quickly to introduce some of the harshest economic sanctions ever levied against a nation state. Keeping on the economic theme, the second half of the program explores the long-term effects these sanctions could have on globalization, the future of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency and what China may do economically to lessen its dependence on a Western led global financial order. 

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Life is full of decisions, big and small.  What to eat for breakfast, what to wear to work, who to ask for advice, where to send your kids to school.  But are any of these decisions truly our own? A growing movement of psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists believe that these decisions may feel like a tossup, but in reality are predetermined, merely the firing of neural pathways forged over time that lead to predictable conclusions. Despite how we feel, free will is an illusion. Supporters of this deterministic worldview argue that our choices are no more under our own control than our own biology. The myriad decisions we make over the course of our lives emerge from background causes of which we are unaware and over which we exert no conscious control. But detractors of this worldview argue that free will and the modern understanding of our brains is not mutually exclusive.  They argue that free will exists on a higher order beyond our physical selves, and cannot be reduced to our mere biology. Much of human thought and action cannot be explained at the physical level, but that renders it no less real. Today we ask the question, do we make our choices, or do our choices make us?

Arguing for the motion is Christian List, Professor of philosophy and decision theory at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, co-director of the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, and author of Why Free Will Exists.

Arguing against the motion is Gregg Caruso, Professor of philosophy at SUNY Corning, Visiting Fellow at the New College of the Humanities, and author of Just Deserts: Debating Free Will.

Christian List: “Free will is the capacity to choose and control our own actions, and common sense suggests that we humans have this capacity”.

Gregg Caruso: “Who we are, and what we do is ultimately the result of factors beyond our control”.

Sources: Big Think, Closer to Truth

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Ayaan Hirsi Ali joins us for an enlightening discussion on how many of our longstanding beliefs about reasoning and rationality are coming under attack at a time when they are needed most.

“Feelings and sentiments have been elevated to a place that makes discussion of anything almost impossible… it's just not conducive to intelligent and rational debate and discussion”

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Executive Producer: Rudyard Griffiths

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Adam Karch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. 

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of allegations of Chinese election interference in Canada and why the government seems bent on downplaying the seriousness of what looks like an ongoing threat to Canadian Democracy. Next, the program dissects the outcome of the Nigerian elections. Was it effectively stolen by the ruling party? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of the deteriorating situation in Israel as security forces crack down on mass protests against judicial reform and Palestinian – Israeli violence escalates.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This is a special edition of the Munk Member’s podcast focusing on the extraordinary series of developments in Eastern Europe that have culminated with Russian troops entering sovereign Ukrainian territory to occupy much of the East of the country. Janice and Rudyard discuss what could happen next in this high stakes crisis. Is this a stalemate in the making with Russia now in possession of two Ukrainian provinces and Europe willing and able to accept this outcome? Or, will Putin push for a full scale invasion? And, finally, what are the geopolitical, long-term ramifications of the last 72 hours for China? For the future of collective security in Europe? For the entire liberal international order?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

A novel written by artificial intelligence is shortlisted for a literary prize. Google software beats a human opponent at Go, one of the most complex board games in the world. Self-driving cars recognize images and then make decisions. These are just some of the extraordinary accomplishments based on artificial intelligence that we have witnessed in the past few years. But there are many scientists who are pushing for a more cautious approach to how we move forward on machine intelligence. They say that we are not far off from developing superintelligent machines whose IQ far surpasses that of humans and who don’t come with an off switch -- with seriously negative consequences for humanity. These scientists argue that we can prevent this loss of control but we need to act now by making sure algorithms ensure that benevolence and human mastery are foundational pillars. Critics say that this view of superintelligence highly overrates the abilities of machines today and in the future, and deeply underestimates the incredible powers of human thinking. They say that AI is nowhere close to matching the human talent for understanding and generalization -- and may never come close. Unsubstantiated fears of a superintelligent future are getting in the way of resolving one of the riddles of human existence - human intelligence - which could unlock untold creativity and progress.

Arguing for the motion is Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science and Smith-Zadeh Professor in Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and Honorary Fellow, Wadham College, Oxford. He’s the author of Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control.

Arguing against the motion is Melanie Mitchell, Davis Professor of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute. She is the author of Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans.

Sources: i24 News English, Wall Street Journal, Pro Robots, Big Think, Science Time, Web of Stories, ACLU, IEN News, ABC, DW

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

For detailed show notes on the episode, head to https://munkdebates.com/podcast.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Producer: Nicole Edwards

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast explores a wild week in financial markets brought on by central banks around the world aggressively raising interest rates to fight surging inflation. Are witnessing more than just a regular market sell off? The last decade and a half saw the normalization of new monetary policy tools by central banks such as ultra low interest rates and fueled record levels of indebtedness on the part of governments, consumers and corporations. The recent surge in inflation and the response by central banks to rapidly raise interest rates looks set to upend this status quo ante with big consequences for the economy, growth and economic inequality. Janice and Rudyard discuss what could come next and the important lessons that policy makers should take away from the economic turmoil effecting everything from equity and bond markets to currencies, housing and crypto.

To access the full-length episode, consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page, you will find a link to listen to the full-length editions of the Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about, consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly, you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore your Munk Membership options, visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Some are worried that far right parties are poised to make big political gains in advanced democracies as inflation, economic stagnation and elite distrust surge. Of all western countries Italy is fast emerging as a petri dish for populist politics and potential herald of the political dynamics that could grip the larger eurozone and North America. The technocratic government of Mario Draghi has collapsed, and with an early election happening this fall, the potential exists for the Brothers of Italy to lead a coalition of far-right parties taking charge of a major European economy. Other countries are already looking toward the Brothers of Italy as an inspiration: the Vox party in Spain, another far-right party, has steadily risen in the polls to 20 per cent. What started all this? Is there any way to stop this rise of far right populism? And does this signal a new and dangerous challenge to pluralist democracies?

QUOTES:

There's been a collapse in left wing working class electoral turnout. We no longer have the mass parties of the past. So instead you just get this polarization between right wing populist forces or even ones with the fascist past. And then the only alternative is the sort of technocratic pro-European liberal center. 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Producer: Marissa Ramnanan 

Editor: Adam Karch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Janice and Rudyard start the show by reflecting on the DNC convention and Kamala Harris's ability to speak to a generation of voters via social media. While she might be light on policy she's heavy on "vibes" - will this help her in a race that is a lot tighter than people might realize? In the second half of the show Janice and Rudyard address the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas and why much of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's efforts over the past week have been a performative diplomatic relations exercise with the objective of getting through the DNC without any major strikes. Whether a deal is finally agreed upon will likely come down to the personal calculations of two men: Yahya Sinwar and Benjamin Netanyahu.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Acclaimed author and popular podcaster Julia Galef joins us for a fascinating discussion about how embracing a scout’s mindset, one that champions curiosity and truth-seeking over knee jerk reactions, will give us the tools we need to make smarter decisions. 

QUOTES:

JULIA GALEF

“The scout's motivation is to go out, see things as clearly as possible and form as accurate a map of a situation or an issue as they can including all of the areas of uncertainty…as you learn more about the world, you're going to revise it and change your perspective”

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Reza Dahya

The United States has long been admired as the world’s most stable and enduring democracy. However, many experts now believe there is a growing and real risk the country could plunge into civil war. Deep political divisions, weakened institutions, racial unrest, allegations of voter fraud, and partisan news coverage are eviscerating social cohesion and political compromise. Red and Blue America are separated by more than ideology; their disagreements are about basic fundamental values that are in irresolvable conflict. The key pillars of a functioning democracy have been destroyed, and the country is courting a period of sustained violent unrest. Others argue that predictions of widespread civil conflict are overblown. Civil Wars require cohesive and large geographical fighting blocs. So called “red” and “blue” states like Texas and California are not nearly as homogenous as pundits claims (46.5% of Texans voted for Joe Biden). Protests, battles, and blockades are a much more likely scenario than a descent into full scale civil war. And finally, the widespread belief that an overwhelming number of Americans support political violence is factually incorrect, and promoting this narrative is dangerous. Those who prophesize the demise of US democracy must remember that conflict can escalate from misperceptions of the intentions of rival groups and stoking fear can lead to actual violence.

Arguing for the  motion is David Blight, award-winning civil war historian and the Sterling Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University.

Arguing against the motion is Akhil Reed Amar, American constitutional and legal scholar and the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University

QUOTES:

DAVID BLIGHT

“Until we find a way out of the straight jacket that the undemocratic Senate and the electoral college holds over us, we are on a collision course with more and more elections like 2020.”

AKHIL REED AMAR

“While we are deeply divided, in every state there are shades of purple. And that means there is less likely to be the sharp geographic divide of the sort that characterized the 1850s”

Sources: 

CNN, Fox News, CBC, HBO, PBS

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Reza Dahya

The release of the country album “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé this spring caused some surprising controversy. 

Some complained Beyoncé, who is Black, shouldn’t be dabbling in what many consider a white music genre. At least one radio station in Oklahoma initially refused to play the album’s first single, “Texas Hold’em.”

Her supporters pointed out that Black Americans have a rich history in country music and cowboy culture. But the incident raised the issue of cultural appropriation: The stealing from one culture by another. 

Some say that “imitation is the best form of flattery” and that cultures borrowing from each other only enriches us all. Others argue that while different cultures will always be inspired by and borrow elements from each other, there are times when borrowing crosses the line into theft. 

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Monica Harris. She is a TEDx speaker, blogger, and author of The Illusion of Division. She is also Executive Director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to bridging the ideological divide in America by focusing on shared values and interests.

Arguing against the resolution is Nadra Nittle. She is a reporter for The 19th News, and  has also written for Vox.com, the Los Angeles News Group, and many others. Her books include “Toni Morrison’s Spiritual Vision” and “Recognizing Microaggressions.”  

Free Munk Members can vote on who they think won this debate on our website, www.munkdebates.com

SOURCES: Beyonce

The host of this Munk Debates podcast is Ricki Gurwtiz

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three topics of interest this week: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have their first one-on-one summit – What did we learn from the meeting? How is American policy changing towards Russia? Will we see a shift in Putin’s behavior?; Canada’s Liberal government found in contempt of Parliament over failure to release documents about a virology lab – What is really going on in this tug of war between Parliament and the PM? And, could it trigger an election?; And finally we unpack the key insights of Timothy Snyder’s Munk Dialogue on authoritarianism’s threat to liberal democracy.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, after a promising start to the week that featured peace talks in Istanbul, the conflict progressively took a turn for the worst with renewed fighting across Ukraine. What is the likelihood of ceasefire anytime soon? Why is Russia saying one thing and doing another? And, second, Canada’s federal budget is out next week. Will it include significant new defence and diplomacy spending? Or, is the care agenda in the form of new national health programs likely to dominate Canada’s record deficit spending? 

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice dedicate the entire Friday Focus episode to the very dangerous showdown taking place between Putin and the West. In what could be the tipping point in the war in Ukraine, western powers are contemplating giving Ukraine permission to use their long range missiles to strike deep within Russia. Rudyard and Janice worry that in Zelensky's desperation he is forgetting that nuclear powers like Russia get to play by different rules to restore credible deterrence. Is the West prepared to enter into a NATO-Russia war? And why are western leaders not taking these potentially civilization-ending decisions with the seriousness they require? And finally, how did get to this dangerous precipice of history? In an era of dual use technology, we would all benefit from less hubris and more humility.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Over the past few months we’ve heard many warnings about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence. But are there some positive aspects about this emerging technology that are being overlooked? On this episode, we’re joined by internationally renowned security technologist Bruce Schneier who argues that dangers associated with Artificial Intelligence are being overblown, and that chatbots like ChatGPT could actually strengthen democracy and restore trust in our governing institutions.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard dedicate the show to talking about the upcoming G20 meeting in India. How should we understand the G20 meeting of the world’s largest economies in a world that is more divided than ever along regional lines? What is the relevance of the BRICs alliance to the future of the G20? Could a BRICs +, as is being orchestrated currently by China, displace the G20 in the near term? And finally, how do we preserve a rules-based international order in an era where the United States is no longer the global policeperson? Is there a different style of leadership needed for our more divided world? If so, what does this look like?

Enjoy! To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three topics in the news. First, Joe Biden lays his presidency on the line to try and secure the support necessary in his own party to pass a $1.7 trillion human and physical infrastructure bill. What is at sake here for American politics, equity and the economy? Next up on the program Janice and Rudyard discuss the COP26 meeting and how the contest between democracies and authoritarian regimes are threatening to derail meaningful action on climate change. Is it time for carbon tariffs to push back against countries that are not cutting emissions fast enough? And finally, Canada has new defence and foreign affairs ministers. What do these appointments say about the future of these two important portfolios?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk member’s podcast explores two big stories in the news this past week. First, what should the world make of the last week of threats and diplomacy by Russia, the United States, NATO members and Ukraine? Are we closer to a Russian invasion? Is there still time to find a negotiated settlement and if so what would this look like? Second, financial markets are selling off as investors start to realize central banks are serious about fighting inflation by raising interest rates. What would higher borrowing costs in 2022 mean for Canada with an economy over reliant on the sky high housing prices? What are the risks of higher interest rates to the fragile COVID-19 economic recovery?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer-prize winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic, on the future of democracy in an era of populist politics and rising authoritarianism.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

For detailed show notes on the episode, head to https://munkdebates.com/podcast.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Member’s podcast focuses on two stories in the news this week. First, what did the nation-wide Rogers blackout tell us about the state of Canada’s digital infrastructure? Add in airport chaos, emergency room shutdown, and soaring inflation and are Canadians living through a summer of national discontent like few in recent history? Second, President Biden is in the Middle East with high profile visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia. What can this increasingly unpopular president expect from his Middle East sojourn as the midterm elections loom at home and prominent Democrats go on the record urging the party to consider a different leader to contest the 2024 election cycle?

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On this Munk Debate podcast, we're talking about the clash of generations: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.  How are these age groups - with vastly different life experiences and upbringings - interacting and competing with each other at home, at school, and in the workforce? Author and psychologist Jean Twenge, often referred to as the “reigning expert on generational change”, argues that evolving technology, more so than major historical events like the great recession of 2008 or the terrorist attacks of September 11th, has had a greater impact on how generations have come to see themselves, and what they want for the future. She joins us for a wide ranging discussion to dispel common misconceptions about certain generations (IE/ millennials aren’t as doomed as they believe to be) and why the young are postponing adult milestones for longer than any previous generation.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Janice and Rudyard react to the shocking Oval Office press conference between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. Was Zelensky's decision to respond in kind to Trump's aggression a smart move? Zelensky showed great courage, but did he make gains for his country? 

In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to Canada which is facing another tariff threat from the US, a liberal leadership race coming to a close, and a possible election call in the coming days. How has Donald Trump's erratic and aggressive behaviour influenced polls in Canada and who voters see as the best candidate to manage this turbulent period?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice open the show with the surprising events out of Ottawa this week: finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigning in a blistering rebuke of the Prime Minister just hours before she was due to present the fall economic statement. What is next for the embattled Justin Trudeau? And what happens if the country is forced to wait through months of a liberal leadership race without a functioning government to face the existential challenges from the incoming Trump administration? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice talk about Trump's joke that Canada should become America's 51st state. Should Canadians take Trump's joke as a serious threat? Is this the beginning of a sinister plan to bring Canada into the US?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard spend the first half of the show talking about two concepts that have emerged that help explain some of the West’s aspirations and fears about the Ukraine War. Some analysts are now arguing that an end game to the war requires turning Ukraine into a “big” Israel similarly protected by American security guarantees. Others worry that, in response, Russia is turning into a “big” Iran which will operate permanently outside Western institutions and norms and actively thwart the West and its agenda. The remainder of the program focuses on the Trudeau government’s plunging poll numbers and what this says about the state and future of progressive politics as a group of prominent progressive leaders gather in Montreal.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Health Canada, the FDA, and the CDC have approved COVID bivalent vaccines to anyone over the age of 12. This booster is different from previous COVID shots, targeting multiple strains of the novel coronavirus, including Omicron sub variants. And while the vaccine is being widely distributed, some epidemiologists are sounding the alarm. Dr. Paul Offit,  Director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is one of two members on the FDA committee who voted against advising all adults over the age of 12 to get the jab. He joins us to talk about why this booster might not be necessary, and whether its benefits really outweigh the risks. 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Today's episode begins with the disagreement between Israel and the US about how Israel should retaliate against Iran. While the US is trying to scale the response back to a series of limited strikes, Israel has waited for a long time to go after Iran - their biggest strategic threat - in a serious and meaningful way. Will they ever have a better moment? What targets will they go after? And will it be a conventional military response or a more covert operation? In the second half of the show Janice marvels at the groundbreaking research of University of Toronto's Geoffrey Hinton - this year's recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics - that developed deep neural networks, without which there would be no ChatGPT. His work has and will revolutionize every part of our existence. Janice argues that Canadian universities are not getting the financial support their world class researchers so desperately need. Why isn't Canada supporting their centres of excellence?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Over five million cases. More than 160,000 deaths and counting. The US currently leads the global tally for the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile some countries, originally devastated by the coronavirus, are reopening successfully after driving new infections down to manageable levels. Some say the only way to prevent tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. is a second wave of shutdowns targeting the hardest hit areas. Critics argue that with shutdowns the supposed “cure” is worse than the disease. Millions will be denied essential medical treatment, including mental health. Jobs and businesses will be permanently lost. And, closed schools will prevent a much-needed return to normalcy for children and parents alike.  In this episode of the Munk Debates podcast leading epidemiologists, John Ioannidis and Andrew Noymer, debate the essence of these two competing arguments.

Sources: MSN.com, NBC News, ABC, MSNBC, CNBC, WHAS11.com, 11Alive, Reuters, Fox News

The world “genocide” was first coined in the 1940s to describe the Nazi slaughter of millions of Jews. 

So it is in a sense surreal that the country created in the shadow of the Holocaust, Israel, is now accused of that same horrible crime. 

Those who argue that Israel is guilty of genocide in Gaza point to three of the five acts listed under the UN Genocide Convention: killing members of a group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of that group; and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. 

Israel and its allies strongly reject the accusation. They say the civilian casualties in Gaza are not an intentional act of genocide, but are an inevitable, if tragic, byproduct of war. And they stress that the war is the result of the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas, an organization that has often expressed a desire to exterminate Jews and expel them from the Holy Land – which itself would constitute genocide.

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Penny Green. She is the Director of the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London. 

Arguing against the resolution is Arsen Ostrovsky. He’s a human rights attorney and CEO of The International Legal Forum. He is also a Senior Fellow at Misgav Institute.

SOURCES: KLKNTV, PBS NewsHour, Sky News Australia

To vote on who you think won this debate, go to our website www.munkdebates.com

The host of this Munk Debates podcast episode is Ricki Gurwitz

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Harvard Kennedy School's Stephen Walt and the McCain Institute's Executive Director Evelyn Farkas join us to debate and discuss what a good peace deal for Ukraine would look like, Russia's imperialist ambitions, and how Trump's reverence towards strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are remaking the world order and challenging America's longstanding alliances. 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Author, journalist, and popular Substack writer Fredrik DeBoer is a self described marxist with a long standing commitment to left-wing activism. However, his new book, How the Elites At the Social Justice Movement, takes aim at his former political allies. Fredrik criticizes the current social justice movement for taking a hyper emotional approach to politics, engaging in character assassination against anyone perceived to be on the wrong side of history. In Fredrik’s words, we are living in a moment of political bloodlust dressed up in the language of anti-racism, damaging free speech, societal cohesion, and any chance of affecting real progressive change long term.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

On June 17th four debaters will take to the stage at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall for a sold out debate on Anti-Zionism.

The motion up for debate: Be it Resolved, anti-Zionism is antisemitism

On this special Munk Dialogue, we speak with each of the debaters to get a sense of their arguments heading into the debate, and what it is about this particular topic that made them want to participate.

Arguing for the resolution is award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and former Munk Debater Douglas Murray. His debate partner is Natasha Hausdorff, an international law expert and legal commentator on antisemitism.

Opposing the resolution is Mehdi Hasan. Mehdi is a best-selling author, former MSNBC anchor, and the CEO and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo. He will be joined by the award-winning Israeli broadcaster and Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Israel is facing a wartime challenge unlike anything we have witnessed in modern history. The IDF is planning to invade Gaza in order to - in the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - “crush and destroy” Hamas after their devastating terrorist attack on Israel last week. This type of dense urban warfare, where the targets are insurgents hiding behind civilians and residential buildings, has rarely been successful for the invading armies. One need no look further than the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004 to see what Israel will be up against.

On this Munk Dialogue by celebrated author Robert D. Kaplan who was embedded up close and personal with the U.S. Marines as they stormed Fallujah and faced intense close quarter combat against thousands of insurgents inside a large Middle Eastern city. 

Robert shares with us his experience of the siege of Fallujah and the lessons it holds for Israel as its military prepares for a ground assault on Gaza, along with thoughts on the risks of current war escalating region-wide. 

Robert D. Kaplan is the internationally renowned author of over a dozen books including classic texts on geopolitics such as Balkan Ghosts and The Coming Anarchy. His latest work of nonfiction is The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China

For information on how to purchase Robert's latest book, The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China, click here

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast.

The Munk Members Pod provides a focused, half-hour masterclass on current events with Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author. Rudyard Griffiths, Chair of the Munk Debates, is the podcast moderator. Janice and Rudyard unpack the big issues in the news and drill down into the people, events and trends that are shaping our lives in this extraordinary moment.

The inaugural episode of the Munk Members pod digs into three big stories in the news this week: the storming of U.S. capitol buildings by Trump supporters and what this says about the future of U.S. democracy; the fate of Hong Kong after the latest round of arrests under China’s new national security law and what if anything Canada should do about it; and the slow place of the vaccine rollout in Canada and much of the rest of developed world. Is government up to the challenge? Should we have given the job to the private sector?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the Munk Members Pod.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

For those of you who are already Munk Members thank for being part of our community and supporting our mission to restore the art of public debate.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More info at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of what we learned from this week’s big NATO summit. Why was Ukraine not given a timeline for NATO membership? What are the new weapon systems the Biden Administration is promising, and what is the risk they will cross a Russian “red line”? The second half of the program debates Google’s ominous decision to include Canada with the likes of Russia and Afghanistan as one of the few countries worldwide who currently don’t have access to the company’s powerful new AI chatbot. What exactly is Google doing, and why? How should the Canadian government respond? And what does this bizarre development forewarn about a world where powerful AI is controlled by Big Tech companies seemingly willing to use it to reward their friends and punish their enemies?

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

When COVID-19 shut down schools around the world last March, it launched an unprecedented experiment in education with a billion students as participants. At the heart of this experiment is the home computer, the new conduit to teachers, classmates and learning. Supporters of digital education say that the pandemic offers a much-needed opportunity to rethink our approach to learning for the first time in over a century. They argue that digital learning is the wave of the future and that students in virtual classrooms connected through a computer and the internet will learn more quickly, retain more information, connect to an extraordinary library of resources, and arm themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to solve the problems of the 21st century. By contrast, critics of distant learning believe we should be concerned not only about the inequitable access to the digital tools that support online learning -  the real threat to education is the computer itself. Screen-based learning doesn’t place the same cognitive demands on students as the physical classroom and negatively impacts the reading and reasoning abilities that foster lifelong critical thinking skills. They argue that if the global experiment in distant learning continues, we are going to witness a steep decline in the educational attainment of hundreds of millions of children the world over.

Arguing for the motion is Mark Bauerlein, Emeritus Professor of English at Emory University and author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes our Future.

Arguing against the motion is Caitlin Fisher, Department Chair of Cinema and Media Arts at York University where she is also the Director of the Immersive Storytelling Lab and the Augmented Reality Lab.

Sources: BBC, Arirang News, WJZ, NBC, CNBC, CBS, Ruby Rube

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

For detailed show notes on the episode, head to https://munkdebates.com/podcast.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Producer: Marilyn Mazurek

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Is social media a force for good?

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Open Web advocate Jeff Jarvis squares off against Wired Magazine and former New York Times columnist Noam Cohen to debate the motion be it resolved, social media is a force for good in the world.

Russia has moved more than 100,000 troops close to disputed areas in Ukraine, setting up fears of a new Russian military intervention following their invasion of Crimea in 2014. US officials have responded by threatening Putin both with economic sanctions and the cancellation of a planned gas pipeline to Europe. Some security experts believe that the west must do more to defend Ukraine; standing by and allowing Russia to invade the country sends a message to other aggressive powers like China that their attacks on smaller countries like Taiwan will be met with similar weak responses. Geopolitically, an independent Ukraine creates an important buffer between Russia and Central Europe and prevents military buildup in the region. Others argue that the US has no business in Ukraine. A string of failed military interventions overseas has left thousands of Americans dead and foreigners scrambling to deal with the mess left behind. Russia also has every right to feel threatened by western attempts to defend border territories and NATO’s alliances with border states. Furthermore, now is not the time to start a fight with Putin when conflicts are escalating with China and Iran. Russia’s fight is with Ukraine. The west, isolationists argue, need to stay out of this fight and away from this conflict.

Arguing for the motion is Dov Zakheim, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former US Under Secretary of Defense in the administration of George W. Bush.

Arguing against the motion is is Anatol Lieven, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the author of Ukraine & Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry

QUOTES:

DOV ZAKHEIM

“If Mr Putin is allowed to invade Ukraine, then everybody else is going to notice it. It will weaken the NATO alliance and the Chinese will see that perhaps we, the Americans, really are a paper tiger”

ANATOL LIEVEN

“If you try to defend everywhere, you end up defending nowhere, which is what America risks vis-a-vis China, when it comes to Ukraine”

Sources: 

NBC, DW, CNBC, BBC, MSNBC, France 24

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Reza Dahya

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members’ podcast explores three topics in the news. First, what should we take away from a week of increasingly tense public exchanges between Russia and the U.S. about the future trajectory of the war in Ukraine? Are Moscow and Washington in a dangerous escalatory feedback loop? Second, the French Presidential election sees Macron reelected. What can we extrapolate from French elections to understand where European politics is headed? And, finally, as Beijing joins the rest of China in shutting down to prevent the spread of Omicron, how will Xi’s zero COVID policies impact political stability and global supply chains?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, technology journalist Kara Swisher joins us for a conversation on the fate and role of Big Tech and Silicon Valley post pandemic.

The lowest oil prices in history thanks to stalled economies in lockdown. A President Elect and a Green New Deal that promises a carbon neutral America in a decade. Governments pledging to make the internal combustion engines illegal within a decade. It seems like the way we have powered our civilization for two plus centuries, using hydrocarbons, is on the way out as we welcome an energy revolution to combat climate change and environmental degradation. Fossil fuel proponents say that this is wildly wishful thinking that doesn’t take into account renewable energy’s infinitesimal contribution to current global demand. Moreover, most green energy is incredibly difficult to store and transit in the ways modern economies need, raising questions about whether hype has replaced common sense about replacing hydrocarbons as our dominant energy source. 

Arguing for the motion is Ramez Naam, energy innovation advocate, and Co-chair for Energy and Environment at the Singularity University. He’s also the author of the award winning sci-fi Nexus Trilogy.

Arguing against the motion is Mark Mills, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and co-founding partner of Cottonwood Venture Partners, an energy-tech venture fund. He served in the White House Science Office under President Reagan.

Sources: Global, BBC, NBC, MSNBC, AP Archive, CBC, CNBC International, Global Warming Policy Forum

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

For detailed show notes on the episode, head to https://munkdebates.com/podcast.

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Christina Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Producer: Marilyn Mazurek

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members Podcast explore three big issues in the news: Third Wave of COVID-19 bears down hard on countries with low vaccine rates – Are these government’s at fault for mismanaging the latest surge of the virus or was it inevitable that some countries would be caught up new wave of lockdowns in a world short on vaccines? Russia deploys large number of military units to its border with Ukraine – What are the risks of a Russian invasion of Eastern Ukraine? Is it in NATO’s interest to get involved in this conflict? What can the West do to deter the threat of Russian aggression? Canadian Spring election in the air – Can you hold a free and fair election in the middle of a third wave of COVID-19? What are the risks and opportunities for the governing Liberals? We discuss it all.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Episode summary Technology has quietly taken over our everyday lives and the idea of living with less, not more, technology is almost unimaginable. As a result, its growth and impacts are being felt well beyond the realms of work and play and it reshapes our politics, culture and ethics. The rapid and pervasive influence of technology over human society today raises important questions: are we still in control of technology, or are we letting it control us? How has Big Tech’s focus on the “optimization of everything” impacted our own sense of ourselves as agents of our future? Is there any merit in the fear of robots replacing workers, the erosion of privacy and disinformation? Just how worried should we be?  And maybe most important of all, what could, or should, be done to reform technology in society today?

QUOTES:

Technology in my view, in its worst aspects, flattens the radical diversity and pluralism of humans to our great detriment. Inefficient solutions to problems sometimes are better because they reflect the grand diversity of ends that human beings have long had.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Marissa Ramnanan

Editor: Adam Karch

Andrew Coyne is a Globe and Mail Columnist and one of Canada’s most trusted commentators. He joins host Rudyard Griffiths to discuss how the Conservative Party's anti-Trudeau messaging undermined their ability to provide Canadians with an appealing platform in an election that doesn't include the former PM. Mark Carney, meanwhile, is acting like a grownup in charge when a crisis hits, even though his big spending promises suggest he's not the blue liberal many centre-right Canadians had hoped. Rudyard and Andrew also talk about Trump's threats to fire US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, and why the independent authority of central banks is so integral to the functioning of democracies.

It’s no secret that both China and the US are preparing for war. Some American military experts think that an armed conflict between the two superpowers is inevitable and could begin as early as 2025. And while there is a general consensus among Americans that the US should defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression, there is also widespread disagreement about whether the US government should make a public commitment to do so. Some foreign policy experts argue that strategic ambiguity will signal that an invasion will be met by a weak response, thus bolstering China’s resolve to attack. Strategic clarity in the form of a pledge to defend Taiwan would intimidate Xi Jinping, deter his re-unification ambitions, and send a strong message of support to allies in the region. Other analysts say that a security guarantee by the US could force Xi’s hand and lead to a military conflict that would have otherwise never come to pass. The US should focus on deterring China from attacking Taiwan without resorting to military commitments that could spiral into a long, protracted and devastating war with a rising superpower.

Arguing for the motion is David Sacks, Research Fellow at Council on Foreign Relations, where he specializes in U.S.-China relations

Arguing against the motion is Michael Mazarr, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He previously served as a special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

SOURCES: CBS, CNN, ABC, China Policy Research

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a recap of last night’s mainstage Munk Debate on Artificial Intelligence. What did we learn from the debate? And, which arguments, “pro” and “con” on AI being an existential threat, had the biggest impact on the course of the debate and the audience? On the back half of the show, exclusively for Munk donors, the conversation turns to this week’s disaster at the Titanic that saw a catastrophic failure of an experimental, private submarine and the deaths of five people. What does this accident say about today’s culture of innovation, risk-taking and regulation? And how should governments respond, at great public cost, to the failures of for-profit risk-takers?

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Has #MeToo gone too far?

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Harvey Weinstein’s attorney, Donna Rotunno, and Jane Manning, a former sex crimes prosecutor, argue the motion Be it resolved the #MeToo movement has gone too far.

SOURCES:
MSNBC, Global News, thedailybeast, ABC News, CBSN

“Together, we shall write an American story of hope, not fear” Joe Biden proclaimed as he took his oath of office in January 2021. His supporters argue that what the President was able to accomplish in four years is nothing short of remarkable. They point to his success at passing the largest infrastructure program since the 1950’s, expanding health care, enacting gun control legislation, and expanding NATO as incredible accomplishments that have cemented his legacy as a transformative president along the likes of FDR and Lyndon Johnson. To his detractors, Joe Biden will be remembered as an ineffective leader who presided over an era of hyperinflation, global instability, and mistrust in institutions. The effects of excessive federal spending, a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and an unprotected southern border will be felt for generations. And capping off his disastrous tenure with an unconditional pardon for his son severed the last threads of trust in government and added fuel to the growing fire of populist resentment.

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Timothy Noah, staff writer at The New Republic

Arguing against the resolution is Gil Troy, presidential historian and Distinguished Scholar of North American History at McGill University

You can vote on who you think won this debate. Go to our website www.munkdebates.com to become a free member and cast your vote.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of three international stories that captured public attention week. First, how should the world interpret the unceremonial departure of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao from the Peoples Congress midway through the final day of proceedings? Second, what does the West owe the women and girls bravely protesting the Iranian regime? Is it finally time to abandon the stalled nuclear deal with Tehran? And, finally, what should Canadians make of the Bank of Canada’s smaller than expected rate hike this week? Was it the right move or a forced error in the fight against continuing high inflation?

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. 

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.  

On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard look at the trends from 2022 to make predictions about the year ahead. From geopolitics to Canadian national affairs to the economy and technology, Janice and Rudyard chart out the big events and issues that could combine to make 2023 one for the history books.

To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It’s been two months since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that killed 1200 people, took 240 hostage, and shook the country to its core. October 7th was a day that not only altered the course of Israeli history, but also has forced Israelis to re-examine their relationship to their Palestinian neighbours, and their ability to rebuild a thriving democracy in one of the most hostile regions in the world.

To understand the story of Israel post October 7th, we’re joined by Yossi Klein Halevi. Yossi is a best-selling author, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 
  
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
 
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
 
Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Editor: Kieran Lynch

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This special episode of the Munk Members podcast provides a recap of the live and in person Munk Debate on the Russia-Ukraine war that took place in Toronto on May 12. The first part of the program features Janice Stein in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths immediately after the debate. What did we learn from this debate? Janice and Rudyard share their thoughts on what viewers and listeners should take away from evening. The second part of the program features a post-debate Q&A with all four debaters and Munk donors recorded immediately after the event.

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

Rudyard and Janice open the show with last night's Canadian English language leaders' debate. Rudyard thinks that Pierre Poilievre looked prime ministerial for the first time in this campaign, while Mark Carney showed a calmness and dexterity for someone with limited political experience. Bottom line: it was a good night for both leaders but it won't move the needle much. Furthermore, it's past time to rethink how the leaders' debate commission conducts election debates which fail to test leaders to the benefit of undecided voters. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice talk about Trump's very combative and controversial week: defying the courts and America's commitment to due process for illegal immigrants, a fight with Harvard University which could have broad implications on universities across the US, and his public condemnation of Jerome Powell, the chair of the US federal reserve, because he doesn't like the bank's restrictive rates and the inflationary threat they represent. Trump's willingness to engage in public battles and ignore basic laws signal an unconstrained chaos with no end in sight.

To support the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week's edition of the Munk Members Podcast digs into three topics: Canada's red hot housing market is projected to surge another 15% in coming year -- Just how big is the bubble Canada's central bank has blown when it comes to home prices and what if anything can be done to prevent a painful repricing of the country's housing stock? -- One of Canada's major pipelines is on the verge of being shutdown by the Governor of Michigan with big consequences for Canada-US relations -- Is there an 11th hour deal to be made? What would be the consequences for Canada to lose access to the pipeline? -- Big thinker Scott Galloway was on the Munk Dialogues this week -- Janice and Rudyard debate his hot take that elite post secondary institutions are bad for society, the economy and flourishing middle class. 

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On the first episode of our new series on politics and culture, Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle and Vox senior correspondent Zack Beachamp debate Elon Musk's embrace of far-right political parties, Trump's totalitarian impulses, and the end to DEI in government agencies.

The host of this Munk Dialogue is Rudyard Griffiths

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Debate members-only podcast focuses on three topics in the news: Canada’s fight over the powers of its legislature to compel the Justin Trudeau’s government to hand over sensitive documents is headed to the courts - What is at stake in this tug of war over the constitution and powers of Parliament? And, could it trigger a summer federal election?; Cases of highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 are continuing to surge globally – How big a threat is the variant to global reopening plans? Is Africa at risk of experiencing an Indian style third wave?; And Hong Kong authorities push Apple Daily, one of the territories iconic newspapers to shutter its doors – Is this the official death knell of democracy in Hong Kong? What does it mean for the world to lose Hong Kong as a non-Western democracy committed to individual freedom and self expression?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, James Carville, U.S. Democratic Party political strategist and bestselling author, on the likely outcomes of the November 3rd U.S. Presidential election.

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, host Rudyard Griffiths and managing director Ricki Gurwitz take listeners behind the scenes of our Munk Debate on anti-Zionism and explain the reasons behind cancellation of the autumn debate with RFK Jr. They also give a sneak peak into what to expect in 2025 with a revamped podcast and some exciting plans for our in person debates.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

It is the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. Over 300,000 dead in Syria. One and a half million injured or disabled. Four and a half million people fleeing the country as refugees. And Syria is just one of a growing number of failed or failing states in the Middle East and North Africa. How should developed nations respond to human suffering on this mass scale? Do the prosperous societies of the West, including Canada and the U.S., have a moral imperative to assist as many refugees as they reasonably and responsibly can? Or, is this a time for vigilance and restraint in the face a wave of mass migration that risks upending Western nations’ openness, tolerance and ultimately their very way of life?

Arguing for the motion are Louise Arbour and Simon Schama

Arguing against the motion are Mark Steyn and Nigel Farage

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz and Christina Stewart Campbell

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three topics in the news this week. The Taliban shock the world with their rapid military takeover of Afghanistan – What explains the Taliban’s ability to overthrow the Afghan government in multiple regional capitals? How is this crisis likely the play out in the coming weeks. Vaccine mandates become an increasing part of America’s COVID response while Canada lags on making vaccinations mandatory – Why is Canada a laggard on vaccine mandates? With kids unvaccinated is it time for to make vaccination mandatory for all teachers? And, a Canadian federal election looks likely to called this Sunday – What are the issues that will dominate the campaign? How can the opposition parties challenge the incumbent Liberal government with so much of the election taking place before Labour Day?

To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast.

If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.

For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Traditional religious holidays are losing ground in a rapidly secularizing world. Halloween, on the other hand, keeps gaining steam.  Decorative pumpkins, elaborate costumes, and a cornucopia of sweet confections all signal that Halloween is upon us.  But for the hardcore Halloween reveler, Halloween means one thing: horror movies.  Horror films allow us to experience our fears from the comfort of our couch, confront them, and work through them.  But all horror movies are not created equal. Since the earliest days of the genre, few directors have reached the heights of John Carpenter. Horror aficionados, fellow directors, and film scholars hold Carpenter in the highest esteem for his ability to create fear from the mundane and believable, and his use of music to create an unparalleled sense of tension and atmosphere of impending doom. They argue Carpenter is the true master of modern horror, and all others are swimming in his wake. But another camp of horror fans disagree, and point to another director as the true master of modern horror. David Cronenberg’s intricate weave of psychological and physical horrors create dynamic, challenging and thought provoking films that have expanded the definition of the genre.  They argue that no other director has done more to push horror into the future, permanently redefining what we need fear.

Arguing for the motion is Paul Tremblay, horror superfan and award-winning author of Survivor Song, The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts. 

Arguing against the motion is Noel Carroll, professor of philosophy at the CUNY graduate Center, specializing in the contemporary philosophy of art and film and the author of The Philosophy of Horror.

Paul Tremblay: “I like to think of a horror film as the reveal of a terrible truth”.

Noel Carroll: “The genre has always been about violations of the familiar”.

Sources: Halloween (1978) [Compass International Pictures], Shivers (1975) [Cinépix Film Properties (CFP)], The Thing (1982) [Universal], The Fog (1980) [AVCO Embassy Pictures], Videodrome (1983) [Filmplan International], The Fly (1986) [Twentieth Century Fox], eXistenZ (1999) [Dimension Films], The Dead Zone (1983) [Paramount]

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/

Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions

Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja