The Munk Debates Podcast

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 edition of the Munk Member’s only podcast explores three topics from the week that was: Canada celebrates its national birthday at moment when many Canadians are feeling decidedly unpatriotic – How was the tone of Canada Day different this year? What did we learn as a country from last twelve months of extraordinary events fueled by the pandemic?; Britain engages in gunboat diplomacy by sending a naval ship into contested waters in the Black Sea – Why are great power contesting control of the Black Sea? What are the risks of these types of events leading to an unintentional hostilities?; And Janice and Rudyard discuss this week’s Munk Dialogue with Irshad Manji on how we can have productive conversations about difficult issues. 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 God Great? 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.

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.

The murder of four Muslim Canadians in London, Ontario; the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 215 children at a former residential school in BC; a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Asians, and Jews across the country. As Canadians are confronted by racially-motivated attacks, both past and present, many have come to believe that these are not unique events. Racism in Canada, they argue, is embedded into our culture, our institutions, our media, and indeed the very fabric of our day-to-day lives. Sweeping reform in government, laws, and education must be undertaken to address the country’s systemic racism and make Canada a safe place for all of its citizens. Others disagree with this assessment. While Canada’s history has indeed featured institutionalized racism towards different groups, most notably towards its indigenous communities, the country has made remarkable progress in acknowledging its diversity and celebrating its differences. One-off hate crimes do not represent the majority of Canadians and their attitudes towards marginalized and racialized communities. As Canada’s high rates of immigration attest, the country has won a global reputation as a welcoming home for all – regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexuality. To claim Canada is systemically racist is a gross mischaracterization that ignores the country’s success as pluralistic democracy and undermines social cohesion. Arguing for the motion is Shree Paradkar, columnist and internal ombud, Toronto Star, Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy 2018-2019. Arguing against the motion is Rupa Subramanya, National Post colmnist and distinguished fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation. QUOTES: SHREE PARADKAR “History is not something that's a story that happened in the past, and that was magically resolved into some sort of equality today” RUPA SUBRAMANYA “We as Canadians continuously are working towards becoming more tolerant, inclusive, and welcoming to all people. This is a sign of a society moving in the right direction” Sources: CTV, Toronto Star, CITY News, CBC 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 [email protected].   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

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Timothy Snyder in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths and explores the unique dangers 21st century authoritarianism presents to the liberal world. Timothy Snyder is one of the most compelling historians writing today. He is the author of a string of bestselling books on the roots of contemporary authoritarianism and its threat to liberal democracy, including On Tyranny and The Road to Unfreedom. He is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information on the Munk Dialogues visit www.munkdebates.com/dialogues. The Munk Dialogues are a project of the Munk Debates and the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. They are sponsored by Gluskin Sheff, Onex, Bond Brand Loyalty and Torys, LLP. If you like what the Munk Dialogues are all about consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Munk Debates at www.munkdebates.com/membership. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates, podcasts and dialogues, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

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.

As if pulling off the world’s signature sporting event in Tokyo this summer during a global pandemic wasn’t challenge enough, the International Olympic Committee is now facing a chorus of voices calling for a boycott of next February’s Beijing Winter Olympics. Politicians from across the political spectrum as well as hundreds of human rights groups say that China’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and the genocide of the Uyghur community violate the fundamental principles of the Olympic charter and that the IOC must preserve the integrity of its mission by calling off the event. They argue that a failure to do so sends the message that the world condones China’s actions, gives the country the international prestige it craves but has not earned, and misses a key opportunity to push for important human rights improvements in the country. Olympics boosters counter that more than ever the games need to go on: in our fractured world an international gathering of amateur athletes competing at the highest level sets just the kind of example of global cooperation the world needs right now and the Olympics are intended for. They argue that using athletes and the century-old Olympics to pursue geopolitical goals is what flies in the face of the movement’s values, not hosting an event in an undemocratic country. Boycotts punish athletes and destroy their careers with no impact on a host country’s conduct. The Moscow Olympic boycott in 1980 accomplished nothing and a Beijing boycott would be no different. Arguing for the motion is Jules Boykoff, Professor of Politics and Government at Pacific University, in Oregon, a former professional soccer player who played on the US Olympic Soccer team, and the author of numerous books about the Olympics, most recently NOlympians: Inside the Fight Against Capitalist Mega-Sports in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Beyond. Arguing against the motion is Richard Pound, a former Olympic swimmer who is a Canadian member and former Vice President of the International Olympic Committee. He was also the first president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.  Sources: Sky News Australia, Fox News, CNBC, NTD UK News CBC, CBS News, NBC News, Senator Mitt Romney, IOC Media 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 [email protected].   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

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 explores three topics: as the G7 prepares to meet, questions are being asked about its relevance in a world reshaped by the pandemic – should the G7 become a forum to push back against the rise of China? How do smaller countries like Canada navigate the multilateralism of the post-COVID era?; the U.S. logs another month of surging inflation up 5% year over year – are we on the cusp of a 1970s style surge in inflation? Have policy makers become too complacent about the inflation threat?; and we end the podcast with a frank discussion about “mansplaining” – is the tone of the Munk Members podcast respectful of gender? How can women and men talk to each other effectively? 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.

As COVID-19 spread throughout the world in the spring of 2020, most scientists accepted the pandemic origin story as told by China and supported by the WHO: the virus jumped from an animal to a human in a Wuhan wet market. Yet after examining how COVID-19 spread among humans and infected its hosts, a few scientists began to question the role of nature in its creation. They found evidence which pointed to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a research lab where pathogenic viruses were being studied, and enhanced, in their capacity to infect people. In the fall of 2019, they argue, one of these research subject viruses infected a lab worker and escaped, spreading to the nearby population and beyond. After many months of being dismissed as a conspiracy theory, a growing number of scientists and government agencies have begun to warm to this hypothesis, calling for further investigations into the Wuhan lab and more transparency from the Chinese government. Some scientists, however, are not persuaded. A number of virologists who studied the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus genome sequence are steadfast in their belief that the virus is nature borne. Not only do its genetic sequences and protein structures mimic a bat virus, the way it infects humans does not suggest any biological engineering. The suggestion that COVID-19 leaked from a lab is a dangerous conspiracy theory not supported by the facts which could affect the study of other coronaviruses and harm our preparedness for future pandemics. Arguing for the motion is Dr. Steven Quay, an anatomic pathology specialist and the author of “Stay Safe: A Physician’s Guide to Survive Coronavirus.” Arguing against the motion is Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease expert and clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University. QUOTES: STEVEN QUAY “The three key components of a zoonosis point to a non-traditional community acquired infection, which leaves me with the conclusion that COVID-19 came from the laboratory.” DANIEL GRIFFIN “We've seen many different infectious diseases go from animals into humans and become devastating. You don't need a mad scientist, unfortunately. In this case, the villain is nature.” Sources: CNN, BBC, Reuters, Tulane University 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 [email protected]. 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

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Nesrine Malik in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths. Nesrine Malik is an award-winning British Sudanese columnist and features writer for The Guardian, and the author of We Need New Stories: The Myths that Subvert Freedom. She was born in Sudan and grew up in Kenya, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. She received her undergraduate education at the American University in Cairo and University of Khartoum, and her post graduate education at the University of London. For more information on the Munk Dialogues visit www.munkdebates.com/dialogues. The Munk Dialogues are a project of the Munk Debates and the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. They are sponsored by Gluskin Sheff, Onex, Bond Brand Loyalty and Torys, LLP. If you like what the Munk Dialogues are all about consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Munk Debates at www.munkdebates.com/membership. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates, podcasts and dialogues, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

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 tackles three stories from the past week: Xi Jinping announces a new cooperative tone for Chinese diplomacy – Is this a meaningful change in China’s geopolitical world view? What does it mean for countries like Canada who have seen relations with the Middle Kingdom hit all-time lows?; America’s largest meatpacking business is the victim of the latest ransom attack on key U.S. infrastructure – Why are these attacks accelerating? And is Russia the real culprit here using third party hackers to destabilize its major military and economic competitor?; And finally we revisit last night’s Munk Dialogue with Nesrine Malik. What did we learn from this fascinating conversation on identity politics? 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 is perhaps the most disputed land on earth, with claims over property rights going back thousands of years. For decades, foreign governments have attempted to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution. Yet the 1991 Madrid Conference, the 1993 Oslo Accords, the 2000 Camp David Summit and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative have all failed in their ultimate goal: to create mutually agreed upon boundaries whereby both peoples can live side by side, peacefully, within secure and recognized borders. With every failed attempt at a two-state solution tensions between the two sides increase and hope for peace becomes ever more elusive; Palestinians, disillusioned with occupation and settler annexation, see their dreams of liberation and statehood slowly evaporating. Israelis, weary of corrupt Palestinian leadership and a continuous wave of terror attacks, do not see a legitimate partner for peace. Now, many Palestinians believe it is time to give up on this pipe dream. The two-state solution, they argue, is dead. The only chance at delivering peace to the region is to end the occupation and create one democratic state with equal rights for both Israelis and Palestinians. Most Jews oppose this plan. Israel was created as a safe haven for a people that have faced generations of prejudice, discrimination, and persecution. They argue that absorbing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza into Israel will lead to large scale violence and the end of the Jewish state as we know it. Arguing for the motion is George Bisharat, Law Professor at UC Hastings and a fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies. Arguing against the motion is Gil Troy, History Professor at McGill University and a columnist for The Jerusalem Post. QUOTES: GEORGE BISHARAT: “Only the one state solution, a state governed by principles of equal rights and true democracy, promises to resolve all of the injustices and bring durable peace to the region”  GIL TROY: “A one-state solution is actually a no Jewish state solution. It's a way of trying to wrap up in lovely language about justice and democracy an attempt to eliminate the Jewish state” Sources: PBS, AP, CNN, RT 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 [email protected].   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 Podcast digs into three topics in the news: The growing discussion in mainstream media that COVID-19 may have originated from a virology lab in China – Why is what was once considered a fringe theory on COVID’s origins suddenly getting prime time attention? And, what are the ramification for China if COVID was engineered by its scientists?; Belarus forces a Ryan Air passenger plane to ground to seize a dissent – How should the world respond to what was effectively a plane hijacking organized by a nation state?; and Canada’s vaccination rates soar as we line up for “the jab” – Is it time to reassess Canada’s performance when it comes to wrestling the pandemic to the ground? 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.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s paramount leader for almost two decades, is facing mounting pressure at home and abroad. His ally in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, is facing wide spread opposition since claiming re-election last year in a widely condemned election. Russian diplomats have been expelled from the US, Czech Republic, and Poland, along with new a round of economic sanctions by Western powers. At home, mass protests are springing up across the country in support of jailed Putin critic and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny. Putin’s response has been a show of force; the President moved 100,000 Russian troops to disputed areas of Ukraine, deployed warships to the Red Sea, cracked down on protesters, and warned the West it would cross Russia’s “red lines” at its peril. Some experts believe that the only way to de-escalate tensions with Russia is through open dialogue on issues of mutual interest. Negotiations will reduce the risk of conflict and advance common goals that benefit both parties, such as arms control, Middle East stability and the Arctic. Others see isolation and increased sanctions as the only answer to Putin’s regime. The Russian President is a dangerous actor whose efforts to destabilize the West are a clear and present danger. Appeasement of any kind will only encourage more bad behaviour and increase the risk of an open conflict. Arguing for the motion is Bill Browder, political activist and author of the best-selling book Red Notice, which chronicles Browder’s mission to expose the Kremlin's corruption while running the largest hedge fund in Russia. Arguing against the motion is Matthew Rojansky, Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, and one of the country’s leading analysts of US relations with Russia, Ukraine, and the region. QUOTES: BILL BROWDER: “We have to think of dealing with Putin like we're dealing with a criminal enterprise....we have to contain him and not give him any latitude for bad actions.” MATTHEW ROJANSKY “Strategic stability between the United States and Russia is absolutely critical. Arms control doesn't happen without dialogue.” Sources: BBC, US Department of Defense, AFP, MSNBC, 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 [email protected].   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

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Douglas Murray in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths. Douglas is a bestselling author and journalist based in Britain. His books include The Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity and Islam and his most recent global bestseller, The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity. He is also an Associate Editor at The Spectator magazine. For more information on the Munk Dialogues visit www.munkdebates.com/dialogues. The Munk Dialogues are a project of the Munk Debates and the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. They are sponsored by Gluskin Sheff, Onex, Bond Brand Loyalty and Torys, LLP. If you like what the Munk Dialogues are all about consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Munk Debates at www.munkdebates.com/membership. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates, podcasts and dialogues, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

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 topics: Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire in Gaza – Is this the basis for a lasting truce? Who has come out on top after two weeks of bloody conflict?; Colonial Pipeline’s ransomware attack and its implications for Bitcoin – Was the twin moves by the US and Chinese government threatening Bitcoin regulation the start of new phase of government scrutiny of crypto currencies? To what extent are ransomware attacks like the online experienced by Colonial pushing government towards controlling crypto currencies?; and our last topic this week was Douglas Murray’s recent Munk Dialogue – How do we best explain the rapid growth of identity politics in our time? 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.

B1617, which has plunged India into a catastrophic third wave of COVID-19 and is spreading globally, is the latest “variant of concern” that has emerged since the pandemic began over a year ago. Many leading infectious disease experts are warning that our failure to contain the spread of the virus, with dozens of high population countries nowhere close to acquiring vaccines, has created the ideal conditions for dangerous new variants to emerge threatening the efficacy of vaccines. They say that only a strategy of maximum global suppression using all the public health tools at our disposal in combination with a massive ramp up of vaccination rates in every country will prevent COVID-19 from becoming a serious, endemic illness capable of killing millions annually. Critics of this view say that once again we are over-estimating the severity of COVID as well as our ability to control the virus’s spread. They say that the mutations it generates are a normal part of the evolution of all viruses and COVID-19 is no exception: there have already been thousands of new variants over the past year and the majority are not associated with a change in infectiousness or deadliness. Mutations also tend to repeat across variants making it possible for vaccine makers to target the changes that are associated with increased risk of infection and death with booster shots. Herd immunity achieved by vaccination and naturally occurring infections among healthy individuals, will steadily bring COVID-19 to heel making it a manageable disease for humanity. Arguing for the motion is Salim Abdool Karim, Director of the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and CAPRISA Professor for Global Health at Columbia University. He is a member of the WHO Science Council, the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus, and the Lancet Commission on COVID-19.  Arguing against the motion is Richard Schabas, a former Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province of Ontario, Canada and Chief of Staff of York Central Hospital during the SARS outbreak. Sources: CNA, CNBC, BBC, Tom Woods TV, AFP News Agency, ABC News Australia, Global 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 [email protected]. 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

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 the big issues in the news this week: Israel and Palestine ramp up conflict with rocket attacks, shelling and airstrikes – Is this the beginning of an expanding cycle of violence between Hamas and Israel? Is a ground invasion of Gaza by the Israeli army likely? And what are we to make of intercommunal violence happening withing Israel?; Canadian provinces halt the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine citing 1:57,000 clotting risk – Are we assessing risk versus rewards of the AZ vaccine correctly? How do we return to “normal” when our tolerance of any risks related to COVID-19 are so low?; and no third topic this week as we ran out the show clock discussing our first two topics!   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.

The Fifth Symphony, Ode to Joy, Don Giovanni, the Requiem. These top hits on the 18th century billboard charts are still beloved by millions of people around the world. They were composed by two musical giants of the 18th century, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, prolific artists whose vast repertoire continues to anchor orchestral performances and has become the fodder for everything from ringtones to baby brain development videos. Though contemporaries - Mozart was only 14 years older than Beethoven and lived just hundreds of kilometres away - the two composers couldn’t have been more different in their personalities and their approaches to music making. Two centuries later can we finally say which composer made the greatest contribution to the western musical canon? Mozart aficionados say that the lively wunderkind from Salzburg took classical music to soaring new heights starting with his very first symphony at the age of eight. He imprinted his musical signature on every genre and almost every musical instrument, composing more than 650 masterworks before he died tragically young at the age of 35. Perhaps there is no more ringing endorsement of Mozart than the one given him by Beethoven, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky, who considered him unparalleled. Beethoven lovers acknowledge his extraordinary debt to Mozart, whom he idolized. But they argue that the intense and emotionally volatile composer from Bonn, Germany took the keys that Mozart handed him and used them to open musical doors that ended up revolutionizing music. His innovations with the symphonic form and string quartets demonstrated music’s capacity to express the difficult and ugly - and proved that challenging the ear and not just pleasing it can lead to a cathartic experience for performers and their audience. Even when he was deaf Beethoven’s innovations in musical form didn’t stop flowing, laying the groundwork for the romantic movement and the music of the 20th century.  Arguing for the motion is Andrew Burashko, a concert pianist who made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the age of 17. He is the founder of the Art of Time Ensemble, a chamber music collective that juxtaposes high art and popular culture. Arguing against the motion is Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, a contributing classical music critic for the New York Times and founder and artistic director of Beginner’s Ear, a series of deep listening experiences that combine meditation and music. Sources: APM Music 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 [email protected]. 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

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Scott Galloway in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths. Scott is a tech entrepreneur, social critic, and acclaimed author. He is Professor of Marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and a serial entrepreneur. His  bestselling books include The Four, The Algebra of Happiness, and most recently, Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity. For more information on the Munk Dialogues visit www.munkdebates.com/dialogues. The Munk Dialogues are a project of the Munk Debates and the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. They are sponsored by Gluskin Sheff, Onex, Bond Brand Loyalty and Torys, LLP. If you like what the Munk Dialogues are all about consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Munk Debates at www.munkdebates.com/membership. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates, podcasts and dialogues, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents).

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.

Oxygen therapy to lengthen our telomeres and prolong the life of our chromosomes. Boosting the functioning of our mitochondria with NAD. Stem cell rejuvenation. These are just some of the exciting therapies that scientists are exploring in their quest to prevent the decline and suffering we experience as we age. But some scientists argue that these are just partial fixes and that the answer to the eternal quest for the fountain of youth lies in pinpointing the upstream driver of these hallmarks of ageing. They claim that thanks to breakthroughs in the science of genetics they have finally discovered the control system that generates the strength and health we associate with youth. It’s the “epigenome”, which is the packaging that coils around our DNA and switches on and off the genes that shape the identity of our cells. They say that as we age this packaging unravels, which deregulates the DNA and cell information they have been safeguarding. Fix the packaging and we can completely reset our DNA and cells and regenerate our bodies so they are once again like brand new. Skeptics say that we need to look no farther than evolution to recognize that while ageing can be slowed down it can’t be abolished. Despite the formidable powers of natural selection, a species that doesn’t age and die has not emerged. This is because ageing is marked not just by cells that are slowing down but also by cells that are rapidly multiplying and becoming cancerous. It is impossible to fix one without the other benefiting, a form of intercell competition where human beings and our hopes of eradicating old age are the losers. Arguing for the motion is David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of TIME Magazine’s “Top 50 people in health care”. He is the author of over 200 scientific papers as well as the New York Times bestseller Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To. Arguing against the motion is Joanna Masel, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. She is a mathematical modeller who has published over 50 papers in a variety of scientific fields and is the author of Bypass Wall Street: A Biologist's Guide to the Rat Race. Sources: ZNews, Fox News, WKTV Newschannel2, Science Time 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 [email protected].   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 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 features three topics in the news: India is in the midst of the worst COVID-19 outbreak of any country to date – What is driving the surge infections across the sub-continent? Are the new variants to blame or is the reopening of societies without high levels of vaccination a recipe for disaster full stop?; Canada has a new federal budget but concerns persist about what if anything it does to address the country’s sluggish growth – How is growth in economies stimulated by government policy? Is too much government intervention and spending in the economy part of the problem or the solution?; and the US and Iran continue high level nuclear talks in Vienna this week – Can the Biden administration but the Iran nuclear deal back together again? Or are the political risks in American and the demands of the Iranian government a threat to recreating Obama’s grand bargain with Tehran? 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.

As people around the world begin to contemplate life after COVID-19, governments are trying to figure out how to re-open their economies safely while the virus continues to circulate. Some countries, like Israel and Denmark, have introduced digital vaccine passports to allow residents access to indoor spaces like restaurants and movie theatres. Those in favour of these certificates argue that they are the safest, easiest, and most effective way of reopening the economy quickly. Citizens should only be allowed to participate in society if they can prove they aren’t a health risk to others. And while it is true that everyone has the right to forgo vaccination, they must also accept the limitations and consequences that come with that choice. Critics see these passports as a coercive scheme that forces people to get vaccinated, as well as a dangerous threat to personal rights and freedoms that will exacerbate society’s inequities and transfer more power into the hands of the government. The state, they say, has no right to mandate personal movements based on a medical treatment, and vaccine passports have no place in any democratic and free society. Arguing for the motion is Ezekiel Emanuel. He is an oncologist, bioethicist, and Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former member of Joe Biden's COVID-19 transition team. Arguing against the motion is Natalie Kofler. She’s a molecular biologist and lecturer at Harvard Medical School, and the founding director of Editing Nature at Yale University QUOTES: EZEKIEL EMANUEL: "We have long had policies of vaccine certification, and we're simply adapting those to the new 21st century and COVID." NATALIE KOFLER: "'Vaccine passports' add another layer of disenfranchisement and inequity towards people and countries that have been disproportionately impacted by serious issues in vaccine distribution." Sources: 7NewsAustralia, CBS, NBC, CTV, France24 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 [email protected].   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

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Jonathan Haidt in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths. Jonathan Haidt is a leading social psychologist, professor at the New York University Stern School of Business and author of a series of internationally bestselling books on psychology and politics including The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, and The New York Times bestsellers The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, and The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure. For information on the Munk Dialogues visit www.munkdebates.com/dialogues. The Munk Dialogues are a project of the Munk Debates and the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. They are sponsored by Gluskin Sheff, Onex, Bond Brand Loyalty and Torys, LLP. If you like what the Munk Dialogues are all about consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Munk Debates. 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. On this week’s Munk Member’s Podcast we dig into three stories: Variants of concern are becoming more “concerning” as third waves builds in Canada, India, and Japan: Just how serious a long term threat are these third waves now that mass vaccinations are taking place? Is there something about the new variants that is could knock back our current assumptions about when life will be returning to something closer to normal? – A “super league” of the world’s best soccer teams blows up in 72 hours: What does this intrigued filled event featuring billionaires, prime ministers and millions of fans tell us about wealth, power, politics and the world’s most loved sporting pastime? Is it a sign that the super rich and the super powerful are about to be held to account in a post-COVID world in a way they have not experienced before? – Jonathan Haidt’s Munk Dialogue took place this week and provided a far ranging set of insights into our democracy, shared values and why we are such a divided society at moment when technology has brought us all so much closer together virtually. We unpack the key insights from Haidt’s talk and debate whether it is possible to restore civility and substance in the public square in our time. 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 broadcasters, daily newspapers, and monthly magazines are struggling to stay afloat as more people turn to non-traditional sources for their news. The likes of Medium, Substack, Twitter, and a seemingly endless series of small independent websites, are building new audiences by offering up news and information tailored to their users’ specific interests and tastes. Some journalists are all too happy to write the mainstream media’s obituary, arguing that institutions like CNN and The New York Times have been taken over by activist journalists and can no longer be relied upon to provide unbiased reporting. Others believe that mainstream organizations provide an invaluable public service that new digital news are either incapable or uninterested in providing: careful fact-based reporting on important issues and holding the powerful to account. In a brave new world of “fake news” and “drive by” journalism, traditional news organizations are essential to our democracy and bulwark against corruption and tyranny. Arguing for the motion is Matt Taibbi, author, journalist, podcaster, and contributing editor to Rolling Stone. Arguing against the motion is Ben Bradlee Jr, a former reporter and editor at the Boston Globe where he supervised the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into sexual abuse by priests in the Boston archdiocese. Sources: PBS, CNBC, CBS, MSNBC, CBC 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 [email protected].   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 edition of the Munk Member’s Only Podcast explore three big issues in the news this week: The third wave of COVID-19 variants accelerates Canada’s public health crisis with hospitalizations soaring 30% in seven days while provinces experience new delays of the Moderna vaccine and subject their publics to vaccine rollouts plagued with delays, unused doses and confused messaging – Can Canada get its pandemic strategy back on track or is too late to blunt the full effect of the third wave?;  Biden expels diplomats and puts new tough sanctions on Russia – What is the strategy behind these new measures? How is Vladimir Putin likely to react? Is war in Ukraine more or less likely as a result?; and the value of Canada’s housing stock rises an astronomical 30% in value in one year – Are we inside a dangerous housing bubble? What can government do to curb the risk runaway housing prices present financial system and social equity? 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.

20 trillion dollars of government stimulus in countries around the world. Interest rates so low there is no incentive to save. And more than half a billion vaccinated consumers ready to pull out their wallets and kick off the Roaring 20s of the 21st century. Some experts believe that a surge of inflation, such as we haven’t seen since the 1970s, is now in the cards. Inflation bulls argue that the post pandemic recovery is just one of many trends converging to create rising prices for years to come. They argue that demographics and in particular an aging population that shrinks the labour force and dramatically increases health costs are accelerants for long term inflation. Skeptics argue that post pandemic recoveries typically drive prices down, not up: the mindset after experiencing a plague is to pay down debt not spend more. While the government may be printing money at a record pace, the rapid technological change brought on by COVID will ramp up automation of workforces driving wages down. And with interest rates on safer investments like bonds suppressed by central banks, aging populations will spend less, suppressing consumer demand. The spectre of a long term rise in inflation is just that, a fiction of our imaginations. Arguing for the motion is Manoj Pradhan, Founder of Talking Heads Macroeconomics based in London, England. He is also the co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, Inflation Revival. Arguing against the motion is David Rosenberg, President of Rosenberg Research in Toronto, Canada. David was previously chief North American economist at Merrill Lynch. Sources: WTVR CBS6, CNBC, Yale School of Management, Yahoo Finance 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 [email protected]. 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

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.

K2-18 B, an earth-like planet with water vapour is spotted 111 light years away. An interstellar object christened Oumuamua flies through our solar system exhibiting characteristics never seen before in an asteroid. Scientists discover intriguing radio wave emissions coming from Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the sun. These are just some of a growing number of observations that have scientists excited about proving the existence of alien life. Statistical probabilities support this view - the Kepler Space Telescope has identified billions of planets theoretically capable of supporting life. To meaningfully advance the science of astrobiology humanity needs to abandon the longstanding and pervasive view that we are alone in the universe. Skeptics say that given the immense age of the observable universe there should be some evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, but instead all we hear and see is silence. These same scientists argue that the ability of a planet to make the jump from inanimate matter to life - known as abiogenesis - and then to stay alive and become intelligent - requires highly unlikely transitions. Earth and humans are special. Our existence represents an incredible fluke and the statistical probability of it happening elsewhere is all but impossible. In sum, we are alone. Arguing for the motion is Avi Loeb, Astronomer and Professor of Science at Harvard University and a New York times bestselling author, most recently of Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth. Arguing against the motion is Stephen Webb, a physicist at the University of Portsmouth, author of the best seller Where is Everybody, and presenter of the recent top ten TED Talk Where are all the Aliens?  Sources: Sky News Australia, Fox 35 Orlando, KSAT 12, Business Insider, PBS Space Time, World News, CBSDFW, MoleClues TV 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 [email protected].   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 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 three stories in the news this week: the third wave of COVID-19 hits across the world –  was the latest round of lockdowns inevitable or were there decisions missed and made that now have April 2021 looking all too similar to April 2020?; Brazil is plunged into its latest political crisis as the pandemic ravages Latin America’s once dominant economy – are populists like Bolsonaro on the way out as their mismanagement of COVID-19 crisis ushers in a new wave of political instability?; and Russian democracy campaigner Alexei Navalny health is rapidly deteriorating in prison – is there anything the West can do to help to nudge Russia away from Putinism and towards 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.

China’s takeover of Hong Kong, and its increasingly aggressive military manoeuvres in the South China Sea have many wondering whether Taiwan is the country’s next “reunification” target. While politicians debate whether it’s in the West’s interest to step in, strategists say the more pertinent question is whether a military defence of Taiwan is even possible. China now boasts the world’s largest army, conventional air force, coast guard, and navy. These vast military resources provide Beijing with the capacity to overwhelm Taiwan through a combined amphibious assault using nuclear attack submarines, destroyers, and aircraft carriers, and an airborne assault using strategic stealth bombers, fighters, and helicopters. Some experts argue that it is wishful to think that the US can defend Taiwan militarily from half a world away unless there is a radical reset of American military strategy and posture towards China. But others contend that despite China’s clear military superiority over Taiwan, the island nation enjoys many advantages when it comes to fending off an invasion. Taiwan’s unique geography and navigational challenges of the Taiwan Strait mean that an amphibious invasion is a daunting task even for a navy the size of China’s.  The country has one of the best early warning systems in the world, and combat aircraft sequestered in mountain locations across the island that could repulse a large scale airborne assault. The almost two million Taiwanese who are trained to defend the country - guerrilla tactics included - vastly outnumber any possible Chinese invasion force. Add in US aircraft carriers, ballistic missiles, armed drones, and high tech minefields, and a Chinese military conquest of Taiwan could end up handing Beijing its biggest military defeat since WWII. Arguing for the motion is Oriana Skylar Mastro. She’s a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She is the author of "The Costs of Conversation: Obstacles to Peace Talks in Wartime". Arguing against the motion is Michael Beckley, Associate Professor at Tufts University near Boston, and also a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of "Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower". Sources: Formosa TV English News, CNA, Arirang News, ABC News, Senator Tom Cotton, BBC News, US GEGE, CGTN, France 24, RTI 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 [email protected].   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

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 edition of the Munk Member’s Podcast explores three big stories in the news this week: China and the West’s fast deteriorating relationship – Why is this happening? What are the consequences? And is a Chinese attack on Taiwan the big risk to world peace in our time?; Vaccine nationalism rears its ugly head as EU and UK relations take a dive on accusations of vaccine hording and threats of export controls – Are these proof points that every country will soon need its own vaccine production capacity?; and the Canadian Supreme Court rules in favor of a carbon tax – how will this decision echo in other federations globally? Is a carbon tax the optimal policy response to the threat of climate change? 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.

Much of the wisdom that our society today has inherited from ancient Greece draws on the writings and ideas of its two greatest philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. Though contemporaries - Aristotle was Plato’s student - these two giants of Western Thought had radically different views of nature and the human condition, what constitutes a good society and the purposes to which we should direct our individual lives. Two millennia later can we now discern which thinker has had the greatest impact on our civilization? And, considering the daunting future humankind faces - from climate change to the rise of thinking machines to genetic manipulation of our bodies - which of these philosophers’ ideas best speak to our present-day reality? Supporters of Plato say that he more than any other thinker articulated the fundamental questions that have guided ethics and politics ever since. He influenced Christianity with his belief in a separate metaphysical reality, and the Enlightenment with his view that the role of a philosopher is to oppose superstition and articulate unpopular truths. Aristotelians argue that secular, science-based societies of the Western world owe an immense debt to Aristotle’s exploration and exaltation of reason, logic, and an empirical approach to understanding the world around us. Equally important, he was one of the first philosophers to engage in a systematic inquiry into the nature of human happiness. His prescriptions for how to lead a good life have profound connections to our search for personal and collective meaning in the modern world. Arguing for the motion is Clifford Orwin, Professor of Political Science, Classics, and Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto. He’s the founding Senior Fellow at the Bochum Thucydides Center, in Bochum Germany and the author of The Humanity of Thucydides. Arguing against the motion is Edith Hall, Professor of Classics at King’s College, in London, England. She is the recipient of the 2015 Erasmus Prize and author of Aristotle’s Way, How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life Sources: BBC, Adam MacLeod, Fox News, Biola University 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 [email protected].   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

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 big issues in the news: ambassadors are being recalled, personal insults traded, and sanctions levied – why are Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin having a very public dispute over who is the bigger “killer” and what does it mean for the future of US-Russia relations?; China has announced Canada’s “Two Michaels” will soon go on trail – with a conviction rate of 99% in mainland courts, what are their chances of ever winning their freedom and can the Canadian government do anything meaningful to secure their release?; and the Astra Zeneca “jab” is once again a flash point between the EU and Britain over who get access to millions of doses first – is it really safe for older people? How is the public meant to interpret the slew health authorities issuing conflicting guidelines on this high profile vaccine? 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.

We are into the fourth month of the largest global vaccination programme in history with over 335 million COVID-19 jabs administered in 108 countries. Critics of the vaccine rollout are deeply concerned about the inequitable distribution of the life saving inoculations. They say the vast majority of vaccinations have taken place in wealthy countries with inoculation rates dramatically lower in Asia and almost non-existent in Africa. They argue that we are experiencing an artificially created shortage and the culprit is intellectual property protection rights that give a small number of pharmaceuticals control over the global manufacturing and supply. The solution is a simple one: remove World Trade Organization intellectual property rights for the duration of the COVID crisis so that countries can manufacture their own vaccine supplies and save possibly hundreds of thousands of lives. Proponents of intellectual property protections argue that this would be disruptive and undermine future investment in innovation, and the hard work that go into producing effective treatments for deadly diseases. Removing these protections will undermine future drug development needed to prepare for future pandemics while doing nothing to contribute to the unprecedented challenge of how to safely manufacture billions of doses in a short period of time. Vaccine production requires knowhow and trained employees to run hugely complex and highly regulated manufacturing processes. Rather than suspend COVID-19 vaccine patents, the answer to an equitable vaccine roll out lies in international collaboration to scale up manufacturing and in the COVAX public private sector partnership that works to ensure that everyone, regardless of wealth, has access to safe and effective vaccines. Arguing for the motion is Dean Baker, Senior Economist & Co-Founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He is the author of the blog ‘Beat The Press’ and How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Arguing against the motion is Thomas B. Cueni, Director General at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. He’s also the biopharmaceutical industry representative to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, the global partnership that aims to accelerate equitable access to COVID-19 treatments. Sources: Blooomberg Quick Take, The Telegraph, France 24, Democracy Now, SABC News, Atlantic Council, KTN News, News4Jax, Al Jazeera English, BBC 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 [email protected].   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 focuses on three big issues in the news: America’s massive $1.9 trillion dollar stimulus is stoking inflation fears and igniting a debate about the economic utility of direct cash payments of hundreds of millions of people; has the British Monarchy finally passed its sell by date in a world grappling with racial justice, inequality and elite privilege?; and as Italy announces a third national lockdown for Easter to try and stem the surge of new variants of COVID-19, should other countries that have been similarly slow to vaccinate follow suit? We debate it all.If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member.  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.

Musician Ariel Pink is dropped by his label for attending a Trump rally. A top executive at Boeing loses his job because of an article he wrote decades ago opposing allowing women to serve as fighter pilots. JK Rowling is widely condemned for tweets her critics deem transphobic. All of the above were subject to social media ‘cancellation’ campaigns they experienced as attacks on their free speech rights and personal reputations. For cancel culture’s critics, shouting down a speaker in a lecture hall or labelling someone a racist for opposing affirmative action has nothing to do with social justice; it is about the intoxicating feeling of being part of a cultural mob motivated by grievance. To many progressives, so-called ‘defenders of free speech’ are crying foul to protect their positions of power in society. It is high time, they argue, that people are held accountable for harmful words and actions including online. Cancel culture is not a threat to free speech, but a champion of it; it gives a voice to those who have been excluded for too long from important public conversations that challenge the power structures benefiting the privileged at the expense of everyone else.  Arguing for the motion is Malaika Jabali, public policy attorney, activist, and Guardian columnist. Arguing against the motion is Jesse Singal, contributing writer at New York Magazine and author of The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can't Cure Our Social Ills. Sources: CNN, ABC, NBC, Fox 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 [email protected].   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 episode provides insights into three big stories in the news: do Saudi Arabia and Russia care about new sanctions levied by the Biden Administration?; two months into Brexit who are the big winners and losers?; and is getting a COVID-19 vaccine before the rest of your age cohort ever ok? We debate 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.

Zero emissions by 2050 and at the latest 2060. That has been the rallying cry for many of the world’s largest economies, including the US, UK, Japan, Canada, and most notably, China. But with almost 80% of carbon emissions coming from energy, demand for electricity continuing to grow by leaps and bounds, and storage batteries still in their infancy, it’s not clear how these countries will live up to their promises. The answer, say an increasing number of environmentalists and energy experts, lies with nuclear energy. They say this much vilified generator of power requires fewer materials and produces the least amount of carbon of any energy source - all with a physical footprint 50 times smaller than solar. Nuclear energy has also proven itself for almost 70 years, and currently supplies 10% of the world’s energy mix. Critics say that this seemingly simple solution to the climate change challenge comes with potentially catastrophic costs that far outweigh the benefits. As the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi reactors in Japan demonstrated ten years ago, the radioactive energy released by fission can wreak havoc on the surrounding environment, threatening the long term health and lives of surrounding populations, and contaminating vast areas of land so that they are no longer habitable. The cost to build but also decommission nuclear plants makes them a far more expensive source of energy than green alternatives. Far better to address the climate change crisis and the world’s energy needs with solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy.  Arguing for the motion is Todd Allen, the Department Chair of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. Arguing against the motion is Gregory Jaczko, Former Chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Lecturer at Princeton University, and author of Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator. Sources: Joe Biden, Global News, Billionaires Note, Linda Gunter, Nuscale Power, Tomo News US, Fox 5, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto,The Nuclear Institute UK, Washington Post 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 [email protected]. 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 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 episode provides insights into three big stories in the news: how should the world respond to Iran’s provocative nuclear enrichment ambitions?; did Facebook or the Australian government win the social media regulation standoff Down Under?; and is the global economy poised to boom or bust in 2021 as case counts plummet and commodity prices soar? We debate 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.

By now most people are familiar with the GameStop saga: how a small video game retailer worth less than $1 billion, fuelled by day trader investors and Reddit message boards, went on the ride of its life – rocketing its share price from $20 to $400 dollars in the span of a few days. The company’s meteoric rise wiped out billions of dollars from institutional investors who had bet against GameStop. And then, as quickly as it rose, it began to fall again. The company’s shares lost three quarters of their value in just 85 minutes wiping out many retail investors. Professional traders argue that platforms like Robinhood – no fee stock trading apps of fractional shares – are to blame for this market volatility. These platforms are encouraging average people to gamble with their life savings in exceedingly risky ways that destabilize financial markets for everyone. Retail investors see the GameStop frenzy as a long overdue populist pushback against Wall Street hedge funds and their predatory short-selling practices. The new platforms are a welcome innovation in financial markets. They level the playing field by allowing anyone to trade the markets at minimal cost, in real time, using options and leverage just like any large market participant.    Arguing for the motion is Tom Sosnoff, founder and Co-CEO of the electronic trading platforms tastytrade and thinkorswim. Arguing against the motion is Danny Moses, a private investor and hedge fund veteran profiled in Michael Lewis’s global bestsellers The Big Short and Flash Boys. Sources: NBC, CNN, NBC, CNBC, C-SPAN, www.charlierose.com, Fortune Magazine 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 [email protected].   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 Producers: Ricki Gurwitz, Christina 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 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 episode digs into three big stories in the news: COVID case numbers plunge globally; why is this happening and what does it mean for the future of the pandemic? — Facebook blocks news sharing on its Australian platform; is the latest overreach by Big Tech the beginning of a new regulatory push by governments? — Texas freezes in the dark; does the collapse of the Lone Star states energy grid a powerful case for renewable energy or proof positive that fossil fuels are here to stay? 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 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.

Bari Weiss, journalist and best selling author on the future of speech and open debate in contemporary society, and how we forge common understandings about the things that matter in times of extreme political and ideological polarization.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   To learn more about 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 [email protected].  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

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. 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. The Munk Members Podcast 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 full length episode digs into three big stories in the news this week — Impeachment trial of Trump starts; will it make any difference to the future of U.S. politics? — Surging inequality; with billions being made by the world’s richest investors in the current market frenzy is there a way to reign in the growing wealth gap? China and WHO —Chinese officials contend COVID originated outside China. Is this in any way credible? And, is the WHO capable of speaking truth to power in Beijing? 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). 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.

B117, N501Y, P1 - these are the labels for new variants of the COVID-19 virus that have led to new waves of infection in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil and are now spreading around the world. Studies suggest that these variants could be substantially more infectious and possibly more lethal than the early COVID-Sars-2 strains. Most worrying, the mutations that characterize these variants may reduce the effectiveness of the long awaited vaccines leading to new surges in cases, more deaths, and forcing vaccination efforts to achieve levels of mass inoculation that are a public health nightmare. In light of the ongoing threat of COVID-19, some infectious disease experts are pushing for what is being called a “Zero Covid” strategy to bring the pandemic to an end. They say that countries like Australia and New Zealand have proven it is possible to all but eliminate the virus and the rest of the world needs to follow their example. They argue that strict, comprehensive, and long-lasting lockdowns that bring COVID cases close to zero is the best way to deal with the original strains of the virus and head off the even greater threat posed by the new variants. Critics of an elimination strategy say that the kind of lockdowns it envisions are based on an irrational, overly fearful reaction to a pathogen that is no riskier than influenza for the vast majority of the population. They say that lockdowns are causing long term harms that far outweigh the public health impact of COVID-19. Countries which have tried to eliminate the virus have sacrificed the well being of their societies and economies for the epidemiological pipedream of zero Covid. The right approach is one based on learning how to live with COVID and managing the threats it poses to the elderly and vulnerable. Arguing for the motion is Stephen Duckett, the Health Program Director at the Grattan Institute in Melbourne Australia and the co-author of the “Australia should go for zero COVID-19 cases” report. Arguing against the motion is Simon Thornley, an epidemiologist at the University of Auckland and a member of New Zealand’s COVID Plan B, a multidisciplinary group of experts pushing for a modified response to the pandemic. Sources: KHOU-11, BBC, CBC, Leading Britain’s Conversation, CovidPlanB Webinar, Sky News, Stuff, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 News Australia 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 [email protected].   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. 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. The Munk Members Podcast 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 full length episode digs into three big stories in the news this week — The slow vaccine rollout in Canada and Europe; why are some countries so much better at inoculating their populations? — Protest and power; are the spate of protests for more democracy everywhere from Russia to Hong Kong likely to create any kind of lasting reform? — GameStop Redux; with upwards of $20 billion in trading losses for hedge funds and individual investors alike, what did we learn from the latest Wall Street frenzy? 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). 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 [email protected]. 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 is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. 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. The Munk Members Podcast 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 full length episode digs into three big stories in the news this week — The new virus variants; how much of a risk are they in terms of delaying the “return to normal” everyone has been counting on? — Vaccine nationalism; with delays in doses being announced almost daily what is risk of new wave of protectionism breaking out this time centered on protecting domestic vaccine supply? — Game stock insanity; what does the latest bout of excessive speculation on Wall Street tell us about capitalism and financial markets? We debate and discuss it all. 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). 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.