The Munk Debates Podcast

The United States has long been admired as the world’s most stable and enduring democracy. However, many experts now believe there is a growing and real risk the country could plunge into civil war. Deep political divisions, weakened institutions, racial unrest, allegations of voter fraud, and partisan news coverage are eviscerating social cohesion and political compromise. Red and Blue America are separated by more than ideology; their disagreements are about basic fundamental values that are in irresolvable conflict. The key pillars of a functioning democracy have been destroyed, and the country is courting a period of sustained violent unrest. Others argue that predictions of widespread civil conflict are overblown. Civil Wars require cohesive and large geographical fighting blocs. So called “red” and “blue” states like Texas and California are not nearly as homogenous as pundits claims (46.5% of Texans voted for Joe Biden). Protests, battles, and blockades are a much more likely scenario than a descent into full scale civil war. And finally, the widespread belief that an overwhelming number of Americans support political violence is factually incorrect, and promoting this narrative is dangerous. Those who prophesize the demise of US democracy must remember that conflict can escalate from misperceptions of the intentions of rival groups and stoking fear can lead to actual violence. Arguing for the motion is David Blight, award-winning civil war historian and the Sterling Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Arguing against the motion is Akhil Reed Amar, American constitutional and legal scholar and the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University QUOTES: DAVID BLIGHT “Until we find a way out of the straight jacket that the undemocratic Senate and the electoral college holds over us, we are on a collision course with more and more elections like 2020.” AKHIL REED AMAR “While we are deeply divided, in every state there are shades of purple. And that means there is less likely to be the sharp geographic divide of the sort that characterized the 1850s” Sources: CNN, Fox News, CBC, HBO, PBS The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg. Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s edition of Friday Focus analyses the sweeping victory of the new leader of Canada’s conservative party in its recent leadership race. What does Pierre Poilievre’s big win say about the future of Canadian politics, especially on the center-right? Has populism now firmly supplanted the older strains of conservatism that made up the conservative party in Canada? Given this trend seems to be happening in almost all western democracies, what does this mean for the future of democracy? Janice and Rudyard dig into it all and share their analysis and insights. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Thank you Munk Members for the hundreds of suggestions for a new name for our weekly podcast exploring current events with Janice Stein and Rudyard Griffiths. And, we have a winner! Friday Focus is our new show title. Kudos to Mary M. who was the first to come up with this punchy new name. On this week’s installment of Friday Focus, Janice and Rudyard explore how the War in Ukraine escalated this week, but not how many people expected. With Putin’s decision to stop all natural gas shipments to Europe, what was up to now a kinetic conflict in Eastern Europe has become a continent-wide energy and financial war between Russia and the EU. How is this conflict likely to play out? What are its likely impacts on inflation, the global economy and Canada’s national security? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Episode summary Technology has quietly taken over our everyday lives and the idea of living with less, not more, technology is almost unimaginable. As a result, its growth and impacts are being felt well beyond the realms of work and play and it reshapes our politics, culture and ethics. The rapid and pervasive influence of technology over human society today raises important questions: are we still in control of technology, or are we letting it control us? How has Big Tech’s focus on the “optimization of everything” impacted our own sense of ourselves as agents of our future? Is there any merit in the fear of robots replacing workers, the erosion of privacy and disinformation? Just how worried should we be? And maybe most important of all, what could, or should, be done to reform technology in society today? QUOTES: Technology in my view, in its worst aspects, flattens the radical diversity and pluralism of humans to our great detriment. Inefficient solutions to problems sometimes are better because they reflect the grand diversity of ends that human beings have long had. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg. Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/ Senior Producer: Marissa Ramnanan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast starts with a discussion of Canada’s stalled out effort to “return to work” two years into the pandemic as the risks of severe illness and death from COVID-19 plummet. What are the costs to companies, community and social equity if broad swaths of Canada’s professional class permanently turn their backs on the office? Second, Janice and Rudyard introduce a new feature for the show in the form of occasional deep dives into an idea or expression we use to explain geopolitics, society or the economy, but don’t necessarily agree with or understand what it actually means. This week’s phrase: the liberal international order. 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 is one of the oldest states in the world, with a complicated history and rich culture. Now, as the political relationship between China and the United States, and arguably the rest of the Western world, is at its most tumultuous yet, we need a deeper understanding of this ancient country, to see where we could possibly go from here. To give us a glimpse into its history and its dealings with other societies, we speak with Professor Timothy Brook, a historian of China, whose studies span back to the 13th century. Timothy Brook is a Professor Emeritus of the Department of History of the University of British Columbia. He writes on a broad range of political, social, and cultural topics, with a focus on China’s engagements with the world. Brook has published thirteen books, which have been translated into several Asian and European languages. A graduate of Harvard University, he has taught at Toronto, Stanford, and Oxford, and has held the Republic of China Chair at the University of British Columbia since 2004, until this year. QUOTES: President Xi Jinping is in this awkward position. He has inherited the Great State modality, but he doesn't think like a Mongol. He thinks like a Chinese who wants to go back to the way the world might have been before the Mongols ever invaded China. This has produced China's greatest foreign policy problems, Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, all of these areas. China has perhaps the most unstable set of borders of any country in the world, and it's precisely because of this historical heritage that they can't think their way out of. 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/ Producer: Marissa Ramnanan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members’ podcast focuses on two stories in the news this week. First, President Emmanuel Macron gave a fascinating speech this week warning of the end of an era of ecological, technological and economic abundance. What would this actually mean? Is it a plausible description of future-facing France and other post-industrial nations? Second, the last few weeks have seen a slew of media reporting on antisemitic and white supremacy in Canadian politics, from the campaign trail of the Conservative Party leadership to the department of Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. Are Canadian norms changing? Why are we seeing more hate in our culture? Rudyard’s Hub article on World Economic Forum and antisemitic conspiracies https://thehub.ca/2022-08-25/rudyard-griffiths-wef-conspiracies-are-antisemitic-and-a-moral-stain-on-conservative-politics/ Macron speech on the end of abundance (French) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AyYQRneG_I&feature=emb_imp_woyt Joseph Tainter, The Collapse of Complex Civilizations https://www.amazon.ca/Collapse-Complex-Societies-Joseph-Tainter/dp/052138673X This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Some are worried that far right parties are poised to make big political gains in advanced democracies as inflation, economic stagnation and elite distrust surge. Of all western countries Italy is fast emerging as a petri dish for populist politics and potential herald of the political dynamics that could grip the larger eurozone and North America. The technocratic government of Mario Draghi has collapsed, and with an early election happening this fall, the potential exists for the Brothers of Italy to lead a coalition of far-right parties taking charge of a major European economy. Other countries are already looking toward the Brothers of Italy as an inspiration: the Vox party in Spain, another far-right party, has steadily risen in the polls to 20 per cent. What started all this? Is there any way to stop this rise of far right populism? And does this signal a new and dangerous challenge to pluralist democracies? QUOTES: There's been a collapse in left wing working class electoral turnout. We no longer have the mass parties of the past. So instead you just get this polarization between right wing populist forces or even ones with the fascist past. And then the only alternative is the sort of technocratic pro-European liberal center. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg. Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/ Producer: Marissa Ramnanan Editor: Adam Karch

Tensions between China and America are at a new, dangerous high following Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan in her capacity as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The trip was seen in Beijing as an affront to the longstanding “One China” policy which asserts that Taiwan is part of China operating under its own system of governance. In retaliation, China immediately launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan and halted cooperation with the U.S. on military matters and the global fight against climate change. The American response has been to renew its support for Taiwan’s right of self-defence and signal that more U.S. navy ships will be transiting the Taiwan strait in the months to come. What is the world to make of this crisis? Is it the opening act of a larger conflict between Beijing and Washington that could lead to war? Are there ways to defuse China-US tensions and re-establish relations between the world’s two superpowers to address common issues and concerns from climate change to the global economy to security in South Asia? For a Chinese perspective on the state and future of Taiwan, China-US relations and the prospects for armed conflict the Munk Dialogues welcomed Professor Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalisation. He is a prominent Chinese lawyer, former investment banker and served as English language translator to the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping. He is the Chair Professor of Soochow University. QUOTES: Taiwan is part of China and the People's Republic of China is the sole legal representative of China. So as far as China is concerned, this is a frontal attack on the one thing that matters the most to China. That is China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The host of the Munk Dialogues 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/ Producer: Marissa Ramnanan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members Podcast explores two stories in the news. First, the raid by FBI agents of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to allegedly confiscate highly sensitive government documents, including possible information related to America’s nuclear weapons. Where is this investigation likely to go next? Could Trump be criminally charged? What would this mean for American politics, political culture and citizens’ perceptions of the impartiality of the exercise of the rule of law? Second, as Canada wraps up its “summer of discontent,” how are the major political parties positioning themselves to respond to a souring national mood? What role will inflation and higher interest rates play in exacerbating political divisions and competing visions of how to guide the country through a period of heightened economic uncertainty? Finally, Janice and Rudyard are challenging listeners to help them come up with a new name for this podcast. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your suggestions! 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 future course of the pandemic seems anything but resolved. The emergence of new variants have caused a major reassessment of the trajectory of COVID in 2022 and beyond. What is the likely course of pandemic this autumn and winter? What role could the new highly infectious variants play in transmission, illness and death? Are the current public health measures, radically scaled back in much of the developing world over the course of 2022, appropriate to the risks and challenges COVID currently presents? And what is the next phase of this pathogen likely to be? Are we up collectively to the task of living with endemic COVID? To answer these questions we discuss with Dr. Eric Topol, a renowned physician, scientist, and author. QUOTES: Dr Topol: We haven't put in the effort, the priority, the resources to develop a pan variant vaccine, which would be anticipatory. One thing that's striking in this entire two and a half years-plus of the pandemic is we're always chasing, never getting ahead of the virus. We're smarter than that sucker. [...] It's almost like we're ignoring the potential there to squash this virus once and for all. 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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses exclusively on the geopolitics of China, America and Taiwan. Why did Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, choose this moment to travel to Taiwan during a period of heightened tension between China and the U.S. over the future of island democracy? What should we make of the Chinese reaction that now involves firing ballistic missiles over Taiwan, large-scale naval operations and jet plane incursions over the “median line” of the Taiwan Strait? If the Chinese are simulating a naval blockade of Taiwan, how could this be countered and at what potential military and economic cost? And finally, what is the West’s grand strategy when it comes to Taiwan and China? Janice and Rudyard unpack the week’s events in Asia and explore how the current war of words over Taiwan could evolve in the months and years to come. 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.

At the beginning of the year, a group of Canadian truckers took their frustrations of government mandated vaccines to Ottawa, which quickly grew into what became known as the Freedom Convoy. For about a month, the convoy shut down the nation’s capital as thousands of people pushed for an end to covid restrictions and vaccine mandates for cross-border essential workers. This was just another example of a populist swell in Canada that has pushed Conservative party candidate Pierre Poilievre to the role of front-runner. Andrew Lawton extensively covered the truck convoy and reports in his new book The Freedom Convoy on a group of people who held dance parties and pig roasts. However, as Tasha Kheiriddin reports in her new book, The Right Path, many more moderate Tories and centre-right voters fear the Conservative Party is pandering to anti-immigration, anti-vaccine and anti-urban sentiments to gain these far-right votes. Is populism the future of Conservatism? QUOTES: Andrew Lawton: “The fact that [the vaccine mandate protests] have reshaped the conservative leadership race months after an election in which the leader would not even talk about that, is a very real example of how conservative politicians in this country realized this populist issue is a necessity for them to be relevant to the voters and to their own base.” Tasha Kheiriddin: “The future of conservatism lies in providing solutions to populist concerns without the rhetoric upheaval and yes, sometimes violence that accompanies populism. It is not simply about removing elites or institutions, but enabling people to rise to the full level of their abilities.” 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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two stories in the news this week. First, Italy is gearing up for a national election in September. Not only populist but outright far-right parties seem on the cusp of forming a coalition government if opinion polls hold over the summer. What would this mean for the Eurozone? Italy is struggling under sclerotic economic growth, massive public debts and restive politics, thanks in no small part due to a backlash against the “technocratic” government of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Is this a turning point for Italy? How are Europe’s technocrats in Brussels likely to respond to Italy moving hard right? Second, this week saw former Prime Minster Stephen Harper endorse the populist front-runner candidate in the Canadian conservative leadership race. Why is a former PM who was avowedly anti-populist during his tenure in government lending political support to a candidate and party flirting with bans on vaccine mandates, World Economic Forum conspiracies and attacks on the independence of central banks and bankers? 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 January 6 commission is a reminder that a peaceful transfer of power is not guaranteed and that democracy is in trouble. But do many understand what democracy really is? In his book Democracy Rules, German historian and political scientist argues three things are crucial for its survival: political parties over populism, a free media and a healthy level of uncertainty. QUOTES: “I think what's paradoxical about the situation in the U.S., but to some degree it's also true of other democracies, is that high degrees of polarization actually coexist with very weak and hollowed out political parties.” “Democracy allows us to deal with conflict, ideally also in a productive way. And uncertainty is important because if uncertainty disappears from a public system, you can be pretty sure that you are well on the way to an autocratic system.” 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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members-only podcast focuses on Europe’s looming energy crisis and how the debate over Canada’s return of a critical piece of machinery for Russia’s gas pipelines into Europe has exposed new and fast-evolving risks related to the Ukraine War. What should the West’s strategy be to counter the Kremlin’s increasing weaponization of energy resources? In the second half of the program, Janice and Rudyard discuss the news sources they are turning towards to try and understand current events. Both recommend their top picks for news sources outside the mainstream which can help broaden our perspectives and enrich our conversations about fast-changing international and domestic politics. 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. Janice's Picks: The New York Times The Globe And Mail The Financial Times The Hub Canada Persuasion Rudyard's Picks: Bloomberg TASS The Global Times The Hub Canada The Logic Medium

The demand for electricity in the world is increasing rapidly and nuclear power is seen by many as a great option to meet those needs sustainably and safely. Building nuclear reactors is capital-intensive but a large project provides jobs for thousands of people and the reactors can last for more than 30 years. Many argue nuclear energy is safe, efficient and reliable and it will be much harder to fight climate change without it. Still, nuclear energy accounts for only 10 percent of global electricity generation and memories of Chernobyl and Fukushima are fresh in the minds of many. How and where to safely dispose of radioactive waste is a concern for many who also argue the environmental impacts like water security, mining, milling and enriching of uranium do not make nuclear power a sustainable energy source. QUOTES: “I believe the world needs more nuclear because it is a key part of the low carbon puzzle. It provides reliable, sustainable and predictable base load power generation that can compliment the variability of wind and solar.” John Gorman “The thing about nuclear is it's a zombie energy program. It died when it was invented. It served no purpose when it was invented. The reality of nuclear for all the greenwashing that goes on nowadays, the reality is it was a cover for producing uranium for nuclear weapons.” Dr Martin Cohen 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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Member’s podcast focuses on two stories in the news this week. First, what did the nation-wide Rogers blackout tell us about the state of Canada’s digital infrastructure? Add in airport chaos, emergency room shutdown, and soaring inflation and are Canadians living through a summer of national discontent like few in recent history? Second, President Biden is in the Middle East with high profile visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia. What can this increasingly unpopular president expect from his Middle East sojourn as the midterm elections loom at home and prominent Democrats go on the record urging the party to consider a different leader to contest the 2024 election cycle? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

The economic powerhouses in today’s economy are middlemen like Amazon and Walmart, a reality that has been exacerbated in the pandemic. So argues Kathryn Judge, author of the new book, DIRECT: The Rise of the Middleman Economy and the Power of going to the Source. In it, Judge says that we are trading convenience for long (and fragile) supply chains with often unethical sources. She argues a more just and fair economy is within our grasp, if we take small actions to be conscious consumers and go to the source more often. This will not only create a more resilient economy but also help us live more connected and fulfilling lives. QUOTES: “They're changing the rules of the game in ways that protect what they're doing, and it also allows them to take a bigger cut over time that often has blocked innovations that could reduce their power. So part of the challenge is first of all drawing attention to this allows us to say individually like, "Where are we making decisions that don't suit us?"” Kathryn Judge The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg. Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This edition of the Munk Members Podcast features Janice and Rudyard’s recommendations for great summer reads. What are the books you should be including on your reading list for the beach, the cottage and your favourite hammock? Janice and Rudyard share their suggestions for big, meaty non-fiction reads that are going to expand listeners’ thinking on some of the key issues of our time. Also, what is a fun summer book that you shouldn’t miss out on as an indulgence? We have all your summer reading needs covered in this special edition of the Munk Members podcast. 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. Rudyard’s Picks: Geography Is Destiny: Britain and the World, a 10,000 Year History by Ian Morris. 2034: A Novel of the Next World War by Elliot Ackerman and James G. Stavridis All That Is Solid Melts Into Air by Marshall Berman Janice’s Picks: The American War in Afghanistan: A History by Carter Malkasian Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy by David Chalmers The Magician by Colm Tóibín

Life is full of decisions, big and small. What to eat for breakfast, what to wear to work, who to ask for advice, where to send your kids to school. But are any of these decisions truly our own? A growing movement of psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists believe that these decisions may feel like a tossup, but in reality are predetermined, merely the firing of neural pathways forged over time that lead to predictable conclusions. Despite how we feel, free will is an illusion. Supporters of this deterministic worldview argue that our choices are no more under our own control than our own biology. The myriad decisions we make over the course of our lives emerge from background causes of which we are unaware and over which we exert no conscious control. But detractors of this worldview argue that free will and the modern understanding of our brains is not mutually exclusive. They argue that free will exists on a higher order beyond our physical selves, and cannot be reduced to our mere biology. Much of human thought and action cannot be explained at the physical level, but that renders it no less real. Today we ask the question, do we make our choices, or do our choices make us? Arguing for the motion is Christian List, Professor of philosophy and decision theory at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, co-director of the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, and author of Why Free Will Exists. Arguing against the motion is Gregg Caruso, Professor of philosophy at SUNY Corning, Visiting Fellow at the New College of the Humanities, and author of Just Deserts: Debating Free Will. Christian List: “Free will is the capacity to choose and control our own actions, and common sense suggests that we humans have this capacity”. Gregg Caruso: “Who we are, and what we do is ultimately the result of factors beyond our control”. Sources: Big Think, Closer to Truth The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg. Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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: Jacob Lewis Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This edition of the Munk members podcast marks the half way point of the 2022 calendar year with Janice and Rudyard making their predictions on the major events, people and trends that will shape the reminder of 2022. Will inflation be tamed by December? Is Xi Jing Ping set to assume an unprecedented third term as Chairman of Communist Party of China? Will Europe be able to hold together in the face of soaring energy costs, slowing economy and rising inflation? Did Google actually create a sentient AI and is this big story that will dominate the back half of the year in terms of the emergence of a broader understanding that thinking machines are coming and possibly much sooner than we think? Is a Liberal Party leadership likely to kick off in the autumn with prime minister Trudeau exiting stage left? And, finally, will the Toronto Blue Jay win big in 2022? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Episode summary Joseph Nye has been listed as the most influential scholar on American foreign policy and is widely thought of as one of the leading global thinkers of our time. Extremely well-versed in nuclear weapons and nonproliferation, Nye, a former deputy Undersecretary of State and National Security Council Chair, will join us to talk about what role the threat of nuclear weapons has played in the war in Ukraine and what this war might tell us about future conflicts. QUOTES: “ That Putin has been able to deter the west from going too far, no boots on the ground, no long-range weapons, you're seeing something of a boundary in this conflict. It's not very good for Ukrainians. It's not very good for the world, but it's better than nuclear escalation.” JOSEPH NYE 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/ Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

Munk Members Podcast provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This edition of the Munk members podcast features two stories in the news. First, with Russian troops set to capture the strategic city of Severodonetsk in the Donbas region, are we seeing the beginning of the end of the war? What are the chances that Russia will consolidate its positions in the Donbas and southern Ukraine in the coming weeks? Will new NATO weapon systems give the Ukrainian army the opportunity to turn the tables on the plodding but so far effective Russian advance? Second, the Biden Administration is courting some of the lowest approval ratings of any recent presidency heading into crucial mid-term elections. What is the cause of Biden’s sagging popularity? What could it mean for the mid-term elections and what happens after in terms of political and policy gridlock? How should Canada be positioning itself for a period of political instability in the U.S.? 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.

Should billionaires exist? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, the editor of Jacobin Magazine, Bhaskar Sunkara, debates American Enterprise Institute's James Pethokoukis on the motion Be it resolved, a society that allows billionaires to exist is immoral. SOURCES: NBC, CNBC, SXSW, CBS NEWS

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores a wild week in financial markets brought on by central banks around the world aggressively raising interest rates to fight surging inflation. Are witnessing more than just a regular market sell off? The last decade and a half saw the normalization of new monetary policy tools by central banks such as ultra low interest rates and fueled record levels of indebtedness on the part of governments, consumers and corporations. The recent surge in inflation and the response by central banks to rapidly raise interest rates looks set to upend this status quo ante with big consequences for the economy, growth and economic inequality. Janice and Rudyard discuss what could come next and the important lessons that policy makers should take away from the economic turmoil effecting everything from equity and bond markets to currencies, housing and crypto. To access the full-length episode, consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page, you will find a link to listen to the full-length editions of the Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about, consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly, you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore your Munk Membership options, visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

In 2016, the UK stunned the rest of Europe by voting to leave the European Union. The split was close, 48 per cent of people voted to stay but 52 per cent voted to leave the geopolitical and trade alliance. In his book, Geography is Destiny, Ian Morris argues Brexit should not have come as a surprise. Instead he says, this has been playing out for 10,000 years, when the landmass now known as Britain first became an island. Morris argues that Britain is uniquely positioned due to its proximity to Europe while able to stay insular thanks to the English Channel. This wasn’t always the case. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were bit players on the edge of the European stage. But by 1500 CE, advancement of ships and governments of the day turned  Britain into a worldwide power. By 1900, Britain was beginning to see the sun set on its empire thanks to rapid globalization. Now Morris says, the great question facing Britain now is how to keep up with Beijing and is it “chaps or maps” that make a country great.  Joining the Munk Debates for this Dialogue is Ian Morris, author of Geography is Destiny.  QUOTES: “The title of the book is “Geography is Destiny”. That’s because nothing that was said or done during the Brexit debate was in any way new. It was like it was the latest round in an 10,000-year-old argument that we can trace back to the history and archaeology about “what do insularity and proximity mean” and “what do we do with them?” -Ian Morris   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/   Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan Editor: Adam Karch

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, what should we take away from the public debut of the findings of the U.S. congressional committee looking into the January 6, 2021 attack on the capitol buildings? Is this the end of Trump’s political ambitions to launch a second bid for the presidency in 2024? How close was America in January 2021 in irreparably breaking its democratic institutions? Second, Shanghai is set to go back into lockdown this weekend for another round of testing of its 24 million plus inhabitants. What is driving Beijing’s relentless COVID zero strategy as China’s economy falters and public unrest over seemingly endless restrictions grow? Are we in fact witnessing a new phase of authoritarian government emerging in China that could well outlast the pandemic? To access the full-length episode, consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page, you will find a link to listen to the full-length editions of the Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about, consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly, you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore your Munk Membership options, visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Is university a waste of time and money? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Bryan Caplan, author of The Case Against Education, debates Professor Nicholas Dirks, the former Chancellor of UC Berkeley, on the motion Be it resolved, cut public spending for universities. It's a waste of time and money. SOURCES: CNN, Newsweek, EWTN, Global News.

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, the Russia-Ukraine War marks its 100th day of fighting. Where is this conflict headed next? Will we still be talking about an ongoing war one hundred days from now? Have the risks of wider escalation of the war increased, or is the threat of a NATO vs. Russia conflict receding as both parties seek to keep the war contained in Ukraine? Second, central banks around the world are hiking overnight interest rates to cool overheating economies. What is the likely impact of increased borrowing costs on the larger economy? Is a recession in the cards or can central banks engineer a so called “soft landing” that sees inflation come down while avoiding a prolonged contraction in economic growth? 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.

While many people are now happily returning to restaurants and concert halls after two years of COVID isolation, most workers are not as eager to return to the office. Office occupancy rates in the US are only at 40%, with as many as 15% of people say they plan never to return. Some economists argue that workers must be at the office for at least part of the week to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Specifically, young workers have a lot to learn from their senior colleagues, an invaluable knowledge transfer which is often the result of spontaneous workplace interactions or friendly relations which are hard to cultivate via Zoom. Likewise, older workers need to become invested in their colleagues’ success, mentoring them, offering them assignments, and championing them to others. These are important relationships that are not only vital to individual progress, but also to the long-term success of the company. Others point to statistics that show working from home, avoiding long commutes, and having more time for leisure activities actually increases productivity and effectiveness. And polls show that a third of workers would rather resign than return to the office full time. Instead of returning to an old and outdated workplace culture, companies need to redesign how they function and use new technology to reinforce social bonds. Workplaces which let their employees work from home while embracing new digital work tools of the 21st century will increase productivity, strengthen relationships, retain better employees, and ultimately get better results. Arguing for the motion is Allison Schrager, columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute Arguing against the motion is Adrian Wooldridge, global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion QUOTES: ALLISON SCHRAGER  “If we completely get rid of the office, then at what point do you connect with your coworkers? In a quarterly or annual retreat? You're never going to really have the spark in chemistry if that's the only time you see them.” ADRIAN WOOLDRIDGE “People have discovered that they can be just as productive, just as creative, just as intelligent at home as in the formal office …. work is no longer tied to a place.”   Sources: Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Markets, CNBC 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/   Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast analyses two stories in the news. First, something feels different about the latest school shooting incident in America. The scale of horror and the event following so closely on the racially motivated killings in a Buffalo supermarket suggest a bigger set of problems are besetting the U.S. beyond the urgent need for gun control. What are these issues? How could they be addressed? Janice and Rudyard discuss. The show wraps up with a recap of week of events in the Russia-Ukraine War and the fierce debates at Davos over the morality of a negotiated settlement that could leave Putin in control of large swaths of Ukraine’s East and South. 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 any measure, the Russian invasion of Ukraine represents a profound security risk for the world. It raises fundamental issues about the basic principles that underwrite the current international order and it threatens the specter of an entrenched, high-risk Great Power conflict. How is this fast-evolving crisis best addressed? Does it demand a resolute and relentless push by the West to punish, isolate and degrade Putin’s Russia economically, politically and militarily? Or is a solution to be found in acknowledging Russia’s security needs and finding ways to mutually de-escalate the war, sooner not later? Which of these different strategies stand the best chance of success? And how ultimately is this conflict best resolved? Arguing in favour of the resolution are John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. Arguing against the resolution are The Hon. Radosław Sikorski, member of the European Parliament and former defence minister of Poland, and Michael McFaul, who served as the US ambassador to Russia from 2012-2014. QUOTES: JOHN MEARSHEIMER: "We in effect poked the Russian bear in the eye and then we left Ukraine defenceless. We have led the Ukrainians down the primrose path."STEPHEN WALT: "If you want to bring this to an end, as quickly as possible, you have to start by recognizing Russia's security interests, the reasons they went to war."RADEK SIKORSKI: "This is not a war about NATO membership, which is a hypothetical possibility. This is the last gasp of Russian imperialism."MICHAEL MCFAUL :"The US, NATO and the West have recognized Russia's security interests for three decades. Yet, that did not prevent Putin from invading Ukraine."   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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch  

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focus on two stories in the news this week. First, there is a growing food shortage in the world. It looks likely to worsen in the months to come. What are the risks of political instability in the developing world as the crisis worsens? Could it expand beyond poor nations to countries like Brazil and India? Second, Canadian conservatives were shaken up this week with the resignation of Alberta premier Jason Kenney. Is this a sign that populism is taking over centre-right politics in Canada? And, what are we seeing in the national race for next Conservative Party leader in terms of populist thinking and ideas? 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.

Unions are making a comeback. Frustrated with pay, benefits, job security, and working conditions, Amazon workers in Staten Island and Starbucks employees across New York have opted to join unions and initiate collective bargaining with their employers, inspiring a wave of pro-union discussions and meetings among big retail workers across Canada and the US. Many believe that America’s dwindling union membership – down to 11.2% of the workforce compared a near 30% high in the 1950’s – is to blame for rising income inequality and wage stagnation. Organized labour, they argue, is an important tool in fighting corporate influence. They also strengthen workers’ rights, increase private and public sector employee bargaining power, and prevent companies from making low-income jobs obsolete via automation or offshore employment. In short, fewer unions mean lower pay for everybody. Other economists argue that unions are not the answer to our current economic woes. Organized labour, they maintain, inflates the wages of a privilege few, while reducing economic output by tying job security and pay to seniority instead of productivity and skill, thereby punishing high-value workers. The 21st century, rather, demands a workforce that champions flexibility, individual bargaining power, and risk-taking on behalf of its workers. The answer to income inequality is to do away with unions and put more power back into the hand of the individual worker. Arguing for the motion is Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, former Chief Economist to the U.S. Secretary of Labor Arguing against the motion is Arthur Laffer, founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, member of Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board (1981–1989), and former economic advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign HEIDI SHIERHOLZ: “Unions reduce the wage suppressing effects of corporate power by providing countervailing power to workers” ARTHUR LAFFER: “Inequality is exacerbated by unions. And the reason people move to non-union states is because they get better jobs and they don't have to pay union dues.” Sources:  MSNBC, ABC, AP   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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch  

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This special episode of the Munk Members podcast provides a recap of the live and in person Munk Debate on the Russia-Ukraine war that took place in Toronto on May 12. The first part of the program features Janice Stein in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths immediately after the debate. What did we learn from this debate? Janice and Rudyard share their thoughts on what viewers and listeners should take away from evening. The second part of the program features a post-debate Q&A with all four debaters and Munk donors recorded immediately after the event. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of a new, interdependent world. Growing global consensus around trade rules, technology transfers, mass migration and investment ushered in a wave of globalization that was championed as the most effective means of bringing prosperity and stability to big and small countries. Yet lately, a slew of anti-globalization movements have led to a marked decrease in world trade. Some economists predict that the war between Russia and Ukraine will only accelerate the decline of globalization. With supply chains already fractured due to the pandemic and climate change, the war will remind many developed nations that they cannot rely on foreign countries for badly needed resources like wheat or natural gas. China, one of the world’s biggest exporters of goods, will likewise see the economic isolation of Russia as a reason to become more independent and protect itself from being vulnerable to similar economic sanctions in the future. Others take a more optimistic view about the future of globalization; with all the comparisons to the 1970’s and sustained inflation, many forget that it was a decade that paved the way for a sustained expansion of trade and international migration. And the best way to deal with inflation, these experts argue, is to open economies and increase the flow of goods. The future will see more, not less, economic interdependence, cooperation, and globalization.    Arguing for the motion is Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics Arguing against the motion is Harold James, economic historian and Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton University QUOTES: ADAM POSEN “We are moving to a world where division is going to be more evident, and where values in national security are going to determine more of our economic decisions”   HAROLD JAMES “The globalization that's going to follow  in the 21st century is about the globalization of services and the use of information technology. It's a very exciting prospect.”   Sources:  ABC, BBC, 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/   Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch  

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses on the upcoming May 12 Munk Debate on the Ukraine War. Janice and Rudyard discuss how the two teams of debaters will approach the debate motion be it resolved ending the worst geopolitical crisis in a generation starts with acknowledging Russia’s security interests. What are the key arguments that are likely to be put forward by both sides? Which will have the most weight as the war enters into its third month? And, is there any basis to acknowledge Russia’s security concerns in the context of an invasion that is now seeing mass human rights abuses and large scale civilian causalities?  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.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali joins us for an enlightening discussion on how many of our longstanding beliefs about reasoning and rationality are coming under attack at a time when they are needed most. “Feelings and sentiments have been elevated to a place that makes discussion of anything almost impossible… it's just not conducive to intelligent and rational debate and discussion” The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/   Executive Producer: Rudyard Griffiths Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch  

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members’ podcast explores three topics in the news. First, what should we take away from a week of increasingly tense public exchanges between Russia and the U.S. about the future trajectory of the war in Ukraine? Are Moscow and Washington in a dangerous escalatory feedback loop? Second, the French Presidential election sees Macron reelected. What can we extrapolate from French elections to understand where European politics is headed? And, finally, as Beijing joins the rest of China in shutting down to prevent the spread of Omicron, how will Xi’s zero COVID policies impact political stability and global supply chains? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

“You can have Rogan or Young. Not both” So threatened Neil Young to Spotify in protest to the vaccine and COVID misinformation being spread on Joe Rogan’s incredibly popular and lucrative podcast. As more artists began to pull out from the platform, and users deleted their accounts, many decried what they viewed as the latest episode in an ongoing battle over control of the information landscape. Those claiming censorship argue that the Joe Rogan/Spotify episode, following in the footsteps of recent controversies such as Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special, is part of a worrisome trend reminiscent of authoritarian style information control that seeks to silence opinions of adversaries that deviate from the “accepted” mode of thought. The continuous effort to de-platform, ban, silence, or tarnish the views of others cannot be allowed to prevail in western democracies. Others argue that this is not censorship, but rather legitimate protest: people using their money, art, voice, and agency to stand up against views they disagree with. In fact, they maintain, this type of protest should be championed as proof that democratic freedoms remain strong. Furthermore, demands of free speech are often aimed at protecting views which have negative impacts - views that should not be allowed to gain traction and influence audiences via massive platforms like Spotify or Netflix.  Arguing for the  motion is Karen Attiah, opinion columnist at the Washington Post Arguing against the motion is Kat Rosenfield, culture columnist for unHerd and co-host of the Feminine Chaos podcast   QUOTES Karen Attiah: “This is a power struggle. Marginalized people are voicing their experiences in an effort to try to gain power, and those who have traditionally held power are looking to hold on to it.” Kat Rosenfield: “Democracy requires tolerance for dissent. People need to be free to express themselves, to bring forth ideas, even provocative or offensive ideas. They need to be able to have conversations.”   Sources: MSNBC, CBC, The Joe Rogan Experience, abcqanda, 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/   Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Adam Karch  

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses on two stories in the news this week. First, what can we take away from last week of the war in terms of how the conflict could unfold in the coming critical period? Is this a moment where Ukrainian forces will once again surprise military strategists and repulse Russia’s large scale offensive in the Donbas? What could this mean for Putin and his plans to celebrate a “victory” for his “special military operation” in early May? Second, France goes to the polls on Sunday to decide their next President with populist Marie Le Pen in contention. Canada is having its own populist moment in the Conservative Party of Canada as candidates contest the leadership. What parallels can we draw between these two events and what they say about the future of populist movements? 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.

In 2002, Winston Churchill was voted the greatest Briton who ever lived, beating Darwin, Shakespeare and Elizabeth I to take the top spot. Just 18 years later, a statue of the former British Prime Minister was defaced in London, spray painted with the words “Churchill was a racist”. As the west reckons with the misdeeds of history’s heroes, Winston Churchill’s long-time critics are eager to shine a spotlight on his dark past. To them, he was a racist, imperialist warmonger whose bombastic speeches during World War II have overshadowed the atrocities he oversaw during his decades in government: from using excessive force to crush dissent at home, to carpet bombing German cities during the war, to his role in the 1943 Bengal famine that killed 3 million Indians, his disregard for the suffering of others and penchant for violence has left a dangerous legacy. An advocate for British colonial rule, a well-known racist, and an admirer of Mussolini did not deserve praise when he was alive, and he certainly does not now. Churchill’s supporters, meanwhile, regard him as a wartime hero whose bravery and leadership during Britain’s darkest hour saved the country and western civilization. Churchill’s powerful rhetoric inspired his countrymen to fight the Nazis when the rest of Europe had surrendered to Hitler’s army. Domestically, he reformed Britain’s prison system, introduced a minimum wage and improved social welfare systems. Like every hero in history, they argue, Churchill made mistakes. But his extraordinary leadership helped save western democracy, proving himself to be worthy of every accolade, every statue, and every memorial dedicated in his memory.  Arguing for the  motion is Geoffrey Wheatcroft, author Churchill's Shadow: An Astonishing Life and a Dangerous Legacy Arguing against the motion is Michael F. Bishop, writer, historian, and the former Executive Director of the International Churchill Society. SOURCES:  Dr. Shashi Tharoor Official, Politics and Prose, The international churchill society, Channel 4 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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three stories in the news. First, Russia suffered a series of setbacks in its war aims this week from the sinking of a flag ship to overt signals by Finland and Sweden that they are joining NATO. How is Putin likely to react to these reversals? Where does the war go from here? The program rounds off with a discussion on the runoff elections in France for president and what Elon Musk is up to with Twitter.  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.

Acclaimed author and popular podcaster Julia Galef joins us for a fascinating discussion about how embracing a scout’s mindset, one that champions curiosity and truth-seeking over knee jerk reactions, will give us the tools we need to make smarter decisions.  QUOTES: JULIA GALEF “The scout's motivation is to go out, see things as clearly as possible and form as accurate a map of a situation or an issue as they can including all of the areas of uncertainty…as you learn more about the world, you're going to revise it and change your perspective” The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two stories in the news. First, Russian troops withdraw from areas around Kiev leaving a trail of war crimes in their wake. Is this a turn point in the conflict where more intervention is required to give the people of Ukraine the capacity to defend themselves against the risk of more atrocities to come? Second, the Canadian government releases the federal budget. What does the budget say about Canada’s commitment to increase military spending over the medium term? And, what if anything does the budget do to nudge the Canadian economy out of what seems like an increasingly deep growth and productivity rut?  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 Matrix, The Truman Show, and now more recently Westworld. Popular culture has long been captivated by the notion that our lives and the world we inhabit in are nothing more than an advanced computer simulation. But it’s also an argument that is being given more credence by world renowned philosophers and scientists. The leading proponents of the “simulation hypothesis” believe that the mathematical nature of the universe is itself the strongest proof we exist in an artificial reality. They point to human DNA and string theory in particle physics as but two of a growing number of so-called naturally occurring phenomena that behave remarkably similar to computer code - too close to be an accident. The mainstream scientific community is taking exception to these claims. They say the simulation hypothesis is based on overly complicated hypotheses that verge on circular reasoning. They argue the universe can be beautiful, even harmonious, mathematically and empirically down to the smallest atom or strand of DNA. Occam's Razor or the maxim that the simplest explanation is usually the right one, is all the proof we need that the universe is real and not a computer program. Arguing for the motion is Rich Terrile, Director of the Center for Evolutionary Computation and Automated Design at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is a voyager scientist and has discovered moons on Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Arguing against the motion is David Kipping, Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University where he leads the Cool Worlds Lab. His research focuses on extrasolar planets, the search for life in the universe, and astrostatistics. Sources: HBO, Space.com, The New York Academy of Sciences, Google Zeitgeist, IGN Entertainment Inc., Gave Dev Guide, FragHero 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 Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members only podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, after a promising start to the week that featured peace talks in Istanbul, the conflict progressively took a turn for the worst with renewed fighting across Ukraine. What is the likelihood of ceasefire anytime soon? Why is Russia saying one thing and doing another? And, second, Canada’s federal budget is out next week. Will it include significant new defence and diplomacy spending? Or, is the care agenda in the form of new national health programs likely to dominate Canada’s record deficit spending?  To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Pandemic government spending, labour shortages, rising gas prices, and supply chain bottlenecks have led to a surge in inflation and some of the fastest price gains for a broad range of goods and services in the last 40 years. In response, some financial experts expect central banks to raise rates multiple times this year and start selling off some of the hundreds of billions in bonds they purchased during the pandemic. The threat of entrenched inflation supposedly requires central banks to respond aggressively and raise interest rates repeatedly over the course of 2022 despite tightening financial conditions and seemingly slowing economic growth. Other economists disagree, insisting that central banks have responded appropriately by not taking drastic and unnecessary action that could cause a recession. Long term inflation pricing in the bond market suggest that the inflation threat is a short-term problem and small rate increases now can more than offset the risk of runaway, long-term inflation. The bigger risk is an economic slowdown or outright recession brought on by central banks raising rates too fast while selling off hundreds of billions in bonds into a global debt market that will struggle to absorb record government deficits. Arguing for the  motion is Mohamed El-Erian, President of Queens' College at Cambridge University and Chief Economic Advisor to Allianz SE Arguing against the motion is David Rosenberg, President and Chief Economist and Strategist of Rosenberg Research & Associates Inc. QUOTES: MOHAMED EL-ERIAN “The Fed has to act and act boldly. Already it has lost some credibility, and if it delays more, it will lose even more credibility and have very few policy options that are attractive.” DAVID ROSENBERG “My view is that  inflation is going to ultimately decline of its own accord and the historical record proves that.” Sources:  CNN, CNBC, PBS, 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/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast digs into the latest developments out the War in Ukraine. First up, where are we at thirty days into this conflict? Is the Russian military and resolve of Vladimir Putin crumbling in the face of what looks like an increasing statement on many of the key battlegrounds inside Ukraine? What could an end game for the conflict look like if Russian war aims are slipping away while Ukraine resolve is surging? And, finally, the economic fallout of the war is fast becoming apparent in sky high commodity prices including energy. What is the likely effects of the war on rocketing inflation levels? How are policy makers going to push back against the threat of a stagflationary future? 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.