The Munk Debates Podcast

World-renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett joins us for a special Munk Dialogue on the origin of human consciousness, and how our minds have been shaped by natural selection and generations of cultural evolution. QUOTES: DANIEL DENNETT “We have more degrees of freedom than any other organism alive. We're autonomous, we pull our own strings… the primary moral responsibility of every human being is to not become a puppet of others.” 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: 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 catches up on the week of news out Ukraine and digs into the Munk Debates recent one-on-one podcast debate on NATO and its role in the crisis. Janice and Rudyard discuss the implications for the war of the Russian army effectively stalling out on the battlefield. Do the setbacks Putin is now facing open a pathway to a ceasefire? Or, is a humiliated Putin more like to prosecute the war to an even more bloody conclusion? And finally, what is NATO’s role in helping creating the preconditions for the war? Janice and Rudyard dissect this week’s Munk Debate podcast, which you can stream here.  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.

Prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, talks between Vladimir Putin and Western leaders largely centered around NATO’s eastward expansion: The Russian leader demanded that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deny membership to Ukraine and Georgia and roll back troop deployment in countries that joined after 1997. These demands were ultimately rejected, and Russia’s response was a military assault on Ukraine that has shattered longstanding peace in Europe and weakened the post-soviet liberal international order. Some experts argue that the US-led NATO expansion in the late 1990s and early 2000s must bear some of the blame for the current crisis. Welcoming the likes of Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic, all once part of the Soviet sphere of influence, was an unnecessary provocation towards Russia when it was still reeling from a humiliating defeat. The Russians viewed this expansion near their border as an existential threat, made worse by Ukraine’s decision to pivot westward towards the EU in 2014. The west, especially the US, must be held partially responsible for the current disaster. Other foreign policy experts argue that NATO expansion is a deflection of the real cause behind this conflict: the machinations of a paranoid madman with imperialist ambitions who is using war to deflect from domestic political and economic unrest. Putin, these experts warn, is using the threat from NATO to distract from the real reason he started a bloody war with Ukraine: a ruthless desire to strengthen his power at home and re-establish waning influence in the region. All blame for the current crisis must rest on Putin’s shoulders, and his alone. Arguing for the motion is Barry Posen, the Ford International Professor of Political Science at MIT and the director of the school’s Security Studies Program Arguing against the motion is Stephen Rademacher, former Assistant US Secretary of State for International Security and Non-proliferation in the George W. Bush administration QUOTES: BARRY POSEN “If you treat a great power, even a middle power, with profound disrespect for its interest and its views, you're giving hawks on their side a major argument for why they need to mobilize against you. And that's basically what happened.” STEPHEN RADEMACHER “What changed in Ukraine was a consequence of Russian policy, Russian bullying, and Russian mishandling of the relationship with their closest neighbor. That is not America's doing, that is not NATO's doing, that is Russia's doing.” Sources:  BBC, CNN, NBC News, Sky 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 the issues and ideas raised in Janice Stein’s important article this week in Foreign Policy magazine. To access the article in full click here. Rudyard and Janice discuss different approaches to deterrence in the current war, how they are likely to encourage divergent risks and outcomes and the importance of considering psychological factors when trying to predict and ideally change Putin’s behavior. The episode also digs into the risks and reasons to be cautious about transferring NATO fighter jets to Ukraine and setting up “no-fly” zones. 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.

He’s been heir to the throne for 70 years, waiting to take over as King of Great Britain from the country’s longest serving monarch, his mother, Queen Elizabeth. But as the Queen’s advanced age and fragile health becomes ever more apparent, many in the UK are wondering whether Charles is the right man to take over the throne from his long-beloved and admired mother. The Prince’s critics point to a sense of entitlement and dour personality unbecoming of a monarch. He lectures about the environment while flying in a private jet, is thin-skinned to criticism, and is forever tainted by his alleged treatment of Diana and the very ugly details that led to the breakdown of their marriage. And most importantly, his critics argue, a constitutional monarchy requires that the sovereign not interfere in politics, a role that Queen Elizabeth has embraced and perfected over her long reign. Charles, by contrast, has used his position to express his views and influence both popular and ministerial opinion. The Prince’s allies insist that he is the right man for the job – he will bring a more modern, European, and tolerant sensibility to a country that must adapt to a new world. His lifelong commitment to protecting the environment and raising awareness about climate change – long before it was deemed fashionable - shows a strength of character sorely lacking in today’s leaders.  And finally, as the longest serving heir to the British throne, he has long exhibited a keen sense of duty and commitment to the monarchy which has endeared him to his subjects and guarantees an easy transition when the time inevitably comes. Arguing for the  motion is Clive Irving, former editor of The Sunday Times and author of The Last Queen: Elizabeth II's Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor Arguing against the motion is Angela Levin, royal commentator and biographer, and author of Harry: Conversations with the Prince  QUOTES: CLIVE IRVING “Charles has lived in a highly privileged cocoon. William and Kate, on the other hand, fit and understand the real world in a way that Charles has never done” ANGELA LEVIN “We are living in a tumultuous world … we need security and straightforwardness. We need someone we can really trust. And I think that Prince Charles fits that role perfectly.” Sources:  GMA, CNN, 7News, The Royal Family Channel, Sky 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 focuses on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Janice and Rudyard discuss how the conflict has escalated over the last ten days and why Western countries have moved so quickly to introduce some of the harshest economic sanctions ever levied against a nation state. Keeping on the economic theme, the second half of the program explores the long-term effects these sanctions could have on globalization, the future of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency and what China may do economically to lessen its dependence on a Western led global financial order.  To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This is a special edition of the Munk Member’s podcast focusing on the extraordinary series of developments in Eastern Europe that have culminated with Russian troops invading Ukraine triggering the largest ground war in Europe since WWII. In this episode Janice and Rudyard are joined by U.S. security expert Joshua Rovner, Associate Professor at the School of International Service of the American University in Washington, D.C.. Joshua walks Janice and Rudyard through the different risks that could escalate the conflict in the coming days from cyber to conventional forces to nuclear. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Gad Saad joins us for an in-depth discussion on how lazy thinking and intellectual tribalism is killing common sense and rational debate. QUOTES: GAD SAAD "When you have a collectivist society, you have cohesive norms, and you have rituals of purity that are easier to implement" 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: Reza Dahya

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This episode of the Munk Member’s podcast features a one-on-one interview between Janice Gross Stein and the former U.S. Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and NATO, James Stavridis. Janice and James discuss the latest developments in the war, the respective strategies of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, the posture of NATO forces in Europe and the threat of cyber attacks by Russia on the United States. Their conversation was recorded in front of a live audience in Toronto, Canada on Thursday, February 24. James Stavridis participated in discussion remotely via video link. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It’s been almost two years since COVID-19 was first declared a pandemic, and yet every few months a new variant emerges, sweeping through entire populations and thwarting any plans for a return to pre-covid normal life. While many governments are still using lockdowns, mask mandates, online school and business closures in order to blunt the surges and prevent a health care collapse, some countries like England and Denmark are pivoting away from these measures, aiming to treat COVID as we do other common infectious pathogens: no restrictions, no mandates, no closures. Governments and health experts supporting this approach argue that safe and effective vaccines and treatments will protect the majority of infected people from severe illness and death. Online learning is detrimental to the mental health of children, exacerbates inequality, and keeps parents out of the workforce. Governments finances are at the breaking point having had to repeatedly bailing out businesses. And finally, humans are social creatures. We cannot continue to prioritize the health of a vulnerable few over the mental and physical wellbeing of entire populations. Many in healthcare and public health do not agree. Yes, COVID is not as dangerous a threat as was originally, but record case counts lead to widespread staff shortages and hospital overcapacity. Letting a virus run rampant is an irresponsible health care approach that will lead to more disease, deaths, and highly transmissible variants. Previous measures like masking and closures have curbed the rapid spread of COVID, and when and if necessary, governments should not hesitate to introduce them again.  Arguing for the  motion is Jay Bhattacharya, epidemiologist and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University Arguing against the motion is Jeremy Faust, public health researcher and core faculty in the Emergency Division of Health Policy and Public Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, instructor at Harvard Medical School QUOTES: JAY BHATTACHARYA “We have put in place lockdowns and other measures to try to control the spread of the virus with really no endpoint in sight, permanently altering the way we live in pursuit of a futile goal.” JEREMY FAUST “We should be willing and able to respond with mitigation and protective measures, exactly when we need them…If we don't do that, we deprive ourselves of the life that we want and also the safety that we all deserve.” “We need to be sensible. Do things when there are surges, protect everyone, including the elderly, when we're at higher risk, and then yes, when case numbers decrease, we can relax.” Sources:  ABC News, Good Morning America, Sky News, Global News The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ 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 is a special edition of the Munk Member’s podcast focusing on the extraordinary series of developments in Eastern Europe that have culminated with Russian troops entering sovereign Ukrainian territory to occupy much of the East of the country. Janice and Rudyard discuss what could happen next in this high stakes crisis. Is this a stalemate in the making with Russia now in possession of two Ukrainian provinces and Europe willing and able to accept this outcome? Or, will Putin push for a full scale invasion? And, finally, what are the geopolitical, long-term ramifications of the last 72 hours for China? For the future of collective security in Europe? For the entire liberal international order? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on two big stories in the news. First, Canada declares its very Canadian equivalent of martial law to try and bring the so-called “truckers” protests to an end in the nation’s capital. Is the Emergencies Act an appropriate response to the protests? What does its invocation say about our institutions, politics and the state of Canadian democracy? Second, how should we interpret Putin and Biden’s “war of words” over whether Russia is in fact going to invade Ukraine? What in fact are competing strategies playing out behind the screaming headlines? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

By now we’ve all heard of ‘cancellations’ across North American campuses – professors who face reputational and professional damage due to deviating opinions – or students who are forced to recant for behaviour deemed problematic by contemporary culture. A new institution of higher learning is hoping to change all that. The newly created University of Austin aims to prioritize and protect freedom of expression and intellectual diversity. Its supporters argue that universities are fundamentally broken. They currently operate like authoritarian regimes more interested in promoting left-wing intellectual orthodoxy as opposed to teaching students how to think for themselves and consider contrary viewpoints. They maintain that protecting young adults from ideas which offend them impedes their development and their understanding of basic democratic principles. Others argue that today’s hysteria about what is being taught in universities is overblown. A few examples of intolerance – amplified by the media and shared on social media – do not represent how these institutions actually operate, nor what takes place in the average university classroom. Furthermore, those railing against universities, including the founders of UATX, are part of a privileged class who are threatened by emerging voices that have traditionally been excluded from public institutions, universities included. Welcoming new voices into the universities has made these institutions more diverse, more democratic, and more free than ever before.   Arguing for the  motion is Heather Heying and evolutionary biologist and founding trustee of the University of Austin Texas Arguing against the motion is Aaron Hanlon an associate professor of English at Colby College QUOTES: HEATHER HEYING “A democracy requires that people don't be censored, and that they don't be self-censored. If higher education isn't the place to explore wild disagreements, then I'm not sure what we have left.” AARON HANLON “If college is so stifling of speech, why are people coming out of it with greater appreciation for free expression than those who haven't had that opportunity?” Sources:  CNN, Fox News, GB News, MSNBC  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 is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three topics in the news. First, Canada’s so-called “trucker” protests go global with copycat movements cropping up in Europe and America. Are we seeing a new form of civil disobedience in the making? How will governments respond? Second, are elites, and Canada’s in particular, becoming dangerously removed from the day-to-day lives of “average” Canadians? What could this mean for the future of not just the pandemic but the fight against climate change too? And finally, what are Janice’s latest thoughts on the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine? How important are the next two weeks? 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.

Lisa Feldman Barrett joins us for a far-reaching discussion on the science of emotions: in the battle between thoughts and feelings, which determines human behaviour?  QUOTES: LISA FELDMAN BARRETT “People love novelty when it comes to food and clothes etc, except when it comes to each other. When it comes to other people, humans tend to gravitate to similarity, to people who love the same way they do, behave in predictable ways or, or have the same beliefs and values” 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: Reza Dahya

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two important stories in the news and the key insights of the latest Munk Dialogue on rationality. First, Canada’s trucker occupation of parliamentary precinct and downtown Ottawa enters its second week. Is there a way to deescalate the protests? Who is capable of talking for the protesters? And, is there a credible government interlocular to lead negotiations? Second, Xi and Putin meet at the opening of the Olympic Winter Games and pledge mutual economic and security support for each other’s nations. How could strengthening Sino-Russian relations effect events in Ukraine? What is the Biden Administration’s response to closer China-Russia ties? And finally, what are the key lessons and insights we can draw from Lisa Feldman Barret’s recent Munk Dialogue on rationality? 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 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

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on two stories in the news. First, what should we be making of the last week of frenetic negotiations over the fate and future of Ukraine and Russia’s security demands in Eastern Europe? Was meaningful progress made in defusing the risk of an invasion? Or, are we closer to an outbreak of hostilities that we realize? Second, the convoy of truckers descending on Ottawa is making international news. Is this a sign that populism is alive and well in Canada after all? And why are our political leaders of all stripes ramping up the rhetoric on the convoy, vaccine mandates and risk of violence at a moment when calmer heads and hearts are clearly needed? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Vegetarianism, Veganism, Pescetarianism, Flexitarianism. Never before have there been so many ways to define how and what we eat.  But are these choices simply a matter of personal taste, or do they reflect a broader ethical conundrum about what we put in our bodies? Ethicists, animal rights activists, and environmentalists increasingly argue that what we eat constitutes a moral choice.  Consuming animals or animal products is inherently unethical, depriving living, sentient beings from living full, productive, and happy lives.  Choosing to eat meat is not merely a preference, but an ethically dubious choice that ignores the health of the planet and the autonomy of other living things.  The only course is to eliminate animals from our diet entirely.  But others argue that the consumption of meat and animal products is not inherently wrong.  Animals can be raised humanely, and brought to our plates with greater attention to their wellbeing.  Humans have been consuming animal products for millenia, and raising livestock is part of the fabric of our shared history and culture.  Steps must be taken to minimize the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, and animals must be treated with respect and care.  But eliminating meat and dairy from our diets altogether is not the solution. Arguing for the motion is Peter Singer, Australian moral philosopher, currently the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University specializing in applied ethics, and author of Animal Liberation (1975) Arguing against the motion is Joel Salatin, Owner of Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia QUOTES: PETER SINGER “We need to start thinking of animals as beings with whom we share the planet and who have their own lives to lead without just being a means to our ends. JOEL SALATIN “You cannot eat without killing something. Something always has to die in order for you to eat.” SOURCES: NBC, CBS 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: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk member’s podcast explores two big stories in the news this past week. First, what should the world make of the last week of threats and diplomacy by Russia, the United States, NATO members and Ukraine? Are we closer to a Russian invasion? Is there still time to find a negotiated settlement and if so what would this look like? Second, financial markets are selling off as investors start to realize central banks are serious about fighting inflation by raising interest rates. What would higher borrowing costs in 2022 mean for Canada with an economy over reliant on the sky high housing prices? What are the risks of higher interest rates to the fragile COVID-19 economic recovery? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Steven Pinker joins us for a thought-provoking, members-only discussion on how sectarian solidarity and our pursuit of self-interest has led to the demise of objectivity, truth, and collective rationality.  QUOTES: STEVEN PINKER “The most pervasive and robust cognitive bias is the one in which people steer their reasoning toward a conclusion that is one of the sacred values of their own tribe.” 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: Reza Dahya

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on the big geopolitical story of the moment, the growing risk of a military invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the potential for a sweeping U.S. and NATO response. How did this week’s high stakes negotiations end up? Are we closer to war now than before talks started? What are the potential off-ramps for Russia and America to defuse the conflict? And if there is an invasion what are risks for all sides in the first major hot war in Europe in a generation? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

2020 was a deadly year for North America’s substance abusers. Over 6,000 Canadians and 93,000 Americans died from opioid related deaths, a significant increase from 2019. And while cannabis recently became legal in Canada and parts of the US, many believe that the only way to solve the current crisis is by legalizing all drugs, especially opiates. Supporters say legalization will reduce crime, free up police resources, and generate millions in tax revenue that can be used to rehabilitate addicts instead of punishing them. Regulating drug sales would make them safer to administer and thus curb overdose rates. Legalization would also solve existing racial disparities in drug enforcement that unfairly target and imprison black men compared to their white counterparts. In a free society, they argue, adults should be free to do what they choose provided their actions are not causing harm to others. Critics of legalization are raising red flags. Increasing access to drugs and normalizing their use will increase the abuse and addiction associated with these powerful opiates. We would see a substantial rise in consumption, the decay of our moral fabric, and a rise in health care costs needed to treat deadly addictions. And finally, critics point out, one need to look no further than America’s deadly opioid crisis to see that legalization will not curb addiction or death. Indeed, they argue, it will do just the opposite. Arguing in favour of the motion is Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Arguing against the motion is Theodore Dalrymple, English cultural critic, retired prison physician and psychiatrist, and Dietrich Weissman Fellow of the Manhattan Institute QUOTES: NATHANIEL ERSKINE-SMITH “From drugs to sex work to assisted dying, there are so many different examples where when we push something underground, the problems get so much worse. THEODORE DALRYMPLE “The current American opioid crisis started with perfectly legal prescription by incompetent, naïve, or corrupt doctors influenced by dishonest promotion.” Sources:  CNBC, BNN, CHEK News, PBS, NBC, ABC, Newsy 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 is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s episode of the Munk Members podcast explores the Canadian province of Ontario’s deepening Omicron crisis and what it says about the state and future of the pandemic. Ontario has the unique distinction of being one of the most locked down jurisdictions in the developed world since the pandemic began in March 2020. Business, schools and civil liberties have been suspended on multiple occasions lasting months. The latest fourth lockdown has resurfaced deep vulnerabilities in the province’s healthcare system which seems immune from twenty plus months of remedial action and billions in public spending. Why is this happening? What can be done about it? What are the lessons the rest of the developed world can draw from Ontario’s outlier experience of the pandemic and its pernicious effects on every aspect of life in the province? Janice and Rudyard discuss it all. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

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

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The last Munk Member’s podcast for 2022 pulls out the crystal ball, polishes it to a fine gloss and make a series of bold prediction about the events and issues that will shape the year head. Will Russia invade Ukraine? Is Iran likely to go nuclear and unveil an atomic weapon? Is a universal vaccine for COVID in the cards that would finally put an end to the pandemic? And, how will cyber weapons and cyber warfare shape international relations and global security in 2022? Janice and Rudyard discuss it all. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Has #MeToo gone too far? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast recorded in June 2020, Harvey Weinstein’s attorney, Donna Rotunno, and Jane Manning, a former sex crimes prosecutor, argue the motion Be it resolved the #MeToo movement has gone too far. SOURCES: MSNBC, Global News, thedailybeast, ABC News, CBSN

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The penultimate Munk Member’s podcast for 2021 looks back at the year that was to reflect on what we have learned over the last twelve months. What can we take away from 2021 that can help us better understand the world as we know and experience it today? Are there new attitudes, analyses or a key or two insights that we can pull forward into 2022 to help us prepare for the year ahead to become better informed and ready to take on the challenges of this remarkable moment we are all living through? 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.

Russia has moved more than 100,000 troops close to disputed areas in Ukraine, setting up fears of a new Russian military intervention following their invasion of Crimea in 2014. US officials have responded by threatening Putin both with economic sanctions and the cancellation of a planned gas pipeline to Europe. Some security experts believe that the west must do more to defend Ukraine; standing by and allowing Russia to invade the country sends a message to other aggressive powers like China that their attacks on smaller countries like Taiwan will be met with similar weak responses. Geopolitically, an independent Ukraine creates an important buffer between Russia and Central Europe and prevents military buildup in the region. Others argue that the US has no business in Ukraine. A string of failed military interventions overseas has left thousands of Americans dead and foreigners scrambling to deal with the mess left behind. Russia also has every right to feel threatened by western attempts to defend border territories and NATO’s alliances with border states. Furthermore, now is not the time to start a fight with Putin when conflicts are escalating with China and Iran. Russia’s fight is with Ukraine. The west, isolationists argue, need to stay out of this fight and away from this conflict. Arguing for the motion is Dov Zakheim, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former US Under Secretary of Defense in the administration of George W. Bush. Arguing against the motion is is Anatol Lieven, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the author of Ukraine & Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry QUOTES: DOV ZAKHEIM “If Mr Putin is allowed to invade Ukraine, then everybody else is going to notice it. It will weaken the NATO alliance and the Chinese will see that perhaps we, the Americans, really are a paper tiger” ANATOL LIEVEN “If you try to defend everywhere, you end up defending nowhere, which is what America risks vis-a-vis China, when it comes to Ukraine” Sources:  NBC, DW, CNBC, BBC, MSNBC, France 24 The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two issues in the news. First, its official…the world is now bracing for a massive surge in COVID cases brought about by the Omicron variant. Why is it that twenty months into this crisis are we still responding to the virus with the threat of mass school closures? Are we fine as a society for children to bear the brunt of the Omicron wave while mass sporting events continue along with restaurant dining and unvaccinated workers going into long-term care homes? What does this say about our collective values if we once again deny children their right to education in the weeks and months to come? Second, in swing states across America, Trump supporters are winning local elections for key positions that oversee voting processes and policy. How at risk is America’s democratic infrastructure from a partisan take over? If this is happening, what does it mean for the midterm elections and 2024? And how can a democracy like America work if the machinery of elections themselves are explicitly partisan and politicized? 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.

Gone are the days of the post-war baby boom and nation-wide one-child policies. Fertility rates around the world – From the US to China to South Korea to Japan - are on the decline, and 23 nations are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. Some demographers are sounding the alarm. They argue that low birth rates combined with an aging population will lead to wage inflation, soaring healthcare costs for the elderly and shrinking workforces to pay for public services and already massive government debts. In sum, the shrinking populations of advanced economies will lead to widespread social and economic decline. Other demographers aren’t so concerned. They point out that a declining population will put less pressure on our resources and slow the effects of climate change. It will also ease the burden on women and lead to less unemployment as the demand for workers increases and wages improve. And finally, it will force governments to improve existing childcare, health care, and education policies to encourage families to have more kids. Lower birth rates are an opportunity to re-examine our existing social and economic structures and make changes that will benefit everyone in society. Arguing for the motion is Sarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing Arguing against the motion is Lyman Stone, Adjunct Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Research Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies    Sources:  BBC, PBS, CNN Money, Airirang News The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three important topics in the news. First, a boycott of the Chinese Winter Olympics by the diplomats of Western democracies is gaining momentum at the same time that the Biden administration convenes a virtual “summit of democracies” to push back against the perceived threats posed by authoritarian regimes. What it stake here? Is democracy promotion an effective foil to blunt the rise of China in the current geopolitical environment? Second, more virtual diplomacy was on tap this week between Russia and the United States. Are there now the outlines of a great power deal over the future of Ukraine? What could this look like? And finally, how should the world combat the threat of autonomous weapons? Will armed robots, drones, AI and mass surveillance of the battlefield make us more or less safe in the 21st century? 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.

Trillions of dollars each year are poured into developing new technologies that redefine the art of war.  And the next frontier of military technology will bring the world of science fiction into reality: fully autonomous weapons.  Supporters of autonomous weapons argue that it is imperative that we develop artificial intelligence capable of making tough decisions at an extraordinary speed.  They argue that this new technology will limit civilian casualties and avoid human error that inevitably costs lives.  They argue that these weapons will be necessary to combat hostile governments, and failing to invest in the future of warfare is an existential threat to the international order.  Without them, we risk a future of greater violence and fewer freedoms.  But there is another camp that feels the risk of these weapons is far too great for anyone to possess. They argue that the human cost of war serves as a deterrent, and without that deterrent, war will become more common and more brutal. Fully autonomous weapons will make it easier and cheaper to kill people, creating more death and destruction than is absolutely necessary.  They argue machines are incapable of fully understanding the value of a human life, and life and death decisions must not be left to AI. The only answer is for the use of autonomous weapons to be banned entirely.  Arguing for the motion is Bob Work, the 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense for both the Obama and Trump administrations from 2014 to 2017 Arguing against the motion is Peter Asaro, Director of Graduate Program & Associate Professor of Media Studies at The New School, with a focus on autonomous weapons from the perspective of just war theory and human rights. Bob Work: “I think very strongly that autonomy has made warfare more humane already and will make it even more so in the future.” Peter Asaro: “Making warfare more humane would be to reduce warfare and conflict. And by the very nature of automating warfare you are encouraging more conflict and more warfare because it's going to be cheaper.” Sources: NYT, Yahoo Finance, CBS News The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja  

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members’ only podcast explores three issues in the news. First, while no progress was made when Russia’s foreign minister and the U.S. Secretary of State met this week, are the terms of a “deal” to avoid military conflict in Ukraine emerging? What could de-escalation look like? And who needs to do want to make this happen? Second, Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is going from bad to worse with over 20 million people now at risk of acute food insecurity. Why is this happening? Will the West standby with tens of thousands of lives, including children’s, at stake? And, finally, Israel and Iran are upping cyber attacks on each others’ civilian populations. What precedents are being set with these attacks? And what ultimately is at risk as state actors increasingly use their cyber arsenals to wage psychological warfare on each other civil institutions and infrastructure? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

We’ve come a long way since DNA was first discovered in the mid 19th century. Today’s scientists are using powerful engineering techniques to edit genes in human eggs and sperm, curing diseases and repairing defective genes before a child is even born. Some scientists are excited about these therapies, championing them as an exciting opportunity to create immunity to viruses, eliminate serious illnesses like AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, and possibly reverse aging. Like prior innovations in medicine and technology, why wouldn’t we embrace a science that allows people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives? Others are alarmed. They are worried that these new techniques raise a host of profound ethical issues. While eliminating genetic diseases is a worthwhile endeavor, many parents might be inclined to use this science to create designer babies: children who are smarter, taller, or have other supposedly desirable traits. And these tools aren’t cheap. They will surely be available to the rich first, creating a terrifying new dimension to the growing economic inequality crisis. Scientists also point out that ‘playing god’ and editing genes will alter our DNA code forever, and one mistake could inadvertently introduce new diseases into the human gene pool. While the desire to cure genetic diseases is a noble one, the manipulation of our DNA is more likely than not to push humanity towards a dangerous and dystopian future no one wants.  Arguing for the motion is George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and MIT Arguing against the motion is Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women's Health, University College London. GEORGE CHURCH “If we bring the cost down, help with education, and make sure there's a dialogue that goes on in both directions, then everybody will have access.” JOYCE HARPER “I worry that these technologies will not be accessible to all and I also worry that people will use them for non-medical reasons. We will have a rich-poor divide that will become bigger and bigger as technology advances.” Sources:  ABC News, France24, Today Show, NBC News, VICE, PBS, Gattaca, Critical Past The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja  

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. On this week’s Munk Members’ podcast explores three stories in the news. First, a “Nu” COVID-19 variant is making global headlines as the week end. What are the risks of a more infectious and possibly dangerous version of COVID to our already fragile pandemic recovery? And, how can the world address the threat of more variants like Nu emerging from the developing world? Second, Russia-Ukraine tensions were on full display this week. How likely is a hot war between Moscow and Kiev? To what extent is it in the interests of NATO members like Canada and the U.S. to be involved this conflict? And finally, Canada-America trade relations take a hit with the introduction by the U.S. of new tariffs on softwood lumber. How should Canada be managing a series of new bilateral trade and economic tensions from electric vehicles to pipelines to now softwood lumber? 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.

Everyone who enters the medical field does so altruistically, standing steadfast against the ever present threat of death and disease.  But as any doctor knows, there are limits to what they can do. At a certain point, the goal shifts from curative to palliative care.  At this stage, the goal is no longer to save a life, but to relieve suffering as best as possible.  How to do so, and the point at which suffering becomes worse than death, is highly contested.  A growing movement of doctors, nurses, and ethicists argue that patients should be empowered in the face of this impossible choice.  They argue that just as a patient has a right to choose how to live, they should also choose how and when to die.  They argue it is ethically and morally shortsighted to keep suffering patients alive at all costs, and that euthanisia and physician assisted suicide are a mercy, not a crime.  But others in the field argue that life is far too sacred to place in anyone's hands, doctor or patient.  Even on the brink of death, lives have meaning and must be preserved.  They argue that the oath that doctors take forbid them from making these types of decisions regardless of the state of their patient.  And that those that advocate for physician assisted suicide are doing their patience, and themselves, a massive disservice. Arguing for the motion is Dominic Wilkinson, Dominic Wilkinson is Director of Medical Ethics and Professor of Medical Ethics at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford. He is a consultant in newborn intensive care at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Arguing against the motion is E. Wesley Ely, American physician and professor of medicine as the Grant W. Liddle Endowed Chair at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dominic Wilkinson: “It's time to be honest and consistent about end of life choice. People have the right to choose how and when to die”. Wes Ely: “If you tell me why you ought to respect a patient's autonomy, I'll tell you why you ought not kill that person”. Sources: CBC, ABC News, CBS Evening News, PBS News Hour 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/membershipMembers 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 ProductionsSenior Producer: Jacob LewisEditor: Reza DahyaAssociate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast catches up with Janice Stein at the Halifax Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada. As one of the West’s premiere gatherings of security experts, senior military leaders and politicians responsible for defense and security, the Forum provides a unique entry point into the geopolitical preoccupations of our time. As a longstanding conference delegate Janice Stein takes co-host Rudyard Griffiths behind the scene to explore what Western democracies’ security establishments really think about Putin, the threat of war over Taiwan, the rise of autonomous weapons and whether creating a so-called “league of democracies” is a plausible deterrent to a rising China or a catalyst for cold war and hot war conflicts in the 21st century. 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.

Recent gubernatorial losses have left the Democratic Party shaken, concerned about how these disappointing election results will predict how the country votes in the 2022 midterms. Moderate strategists are pointing the finger at their progressive party members. By promoting unpopular policies on police, immigration, education, and gender politics, the progressive wing of the party is alienating its moderate base and pushing them towards the GOP. They argue that the left’s tactics in government – holding important domestic bills hostage in a bid to pass a more progressive agenda – have weakened the party and frustrated independents. Progressives, meanwhile, believe that Democrats need to embrace bold policies in order to inspire the party base and deliver for working class voters, racial minorities and immigrants. Recent election losses are proof that the same tired playbook of centrist policies and priorities does not work. And it is moderate obstructionist Democrats, not progressives, who are standing in the way of Congress passing historic domestic legislation, frustrating voters and dividing the party. If the Democrats do not change course and embrace a bold agenda, they will lose the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms and the presidency soon after. Arguing for the motion is Jim Kessler, Vice President for Policy at Third Way, a Washington DC Democratic think tank Arguing against the motion is Jeff Weaver, campaign manager for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign and senior advisor on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.  QUOTES: JIM KESSLER "Voters in the middle of the country, they just don't trust Democrats enough to really give us strong majorities, because they think we're going to go off the deep end." JEFFREY WEAVER “The Democratic party has to be a a labour-oriented party that uplifts working people of all races, that demonstrates in real ways that the future of democracy is a future that will have shared prosperity.” Sources:  PBS, Bloomberg, CNN, Ruptly The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three stories in the news. First, Europe is facing a new border crisis orchestrated by the government of Belarus busing migrants to its borders with Poland and Lithuania. Russia is being blamed for fuelling the crisis as it conducts bomber sorties over Belarus in support of President Lukashenko. What are the origins of this crisis? Why is likely to happen next? And why is Russia seemingly so bent on destabilizing Europe? Second, President Xi's status as China’s supreme leader was further burnished this week with the passage of a “historical resolution” praising his “decisive significance” in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This has only happened three other times in the 100 years of the Chinese Communist Party with similar honours conferred on Mao and Deng. What does this mostly ritualistic event signify about Xi’s leadership and the future direction of China at home and abroad? And finally, the US government reported the highest monthly inflation in more than thirty years this week. How is higher, sustained inflation likely to play out politically? Who are the political winners and losers in a high inflation world? 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.

“All roads lead to Rome,” goes the saying, and many historians agree. They argue that ancient Roman civilization, which grew into a colossal super state lasting two thousand years, is the historical period that has the greatest influence on modern day society. Roman civilization’s impact is vast: a sophisticated approach to law that informs our modern legal system, the Western alphabet, the Romance languages spoken by 800 million people, Christianity as the spiritual home to over 1.2 billion followers today, and systems of governance that guide the constitutional foundation of many countries, including the United States. Critics of this sweeping view of Rome’s influence respond, “We are all Greeks,” quoting the poet Percy Shelley. They argue that a small city state just a couple thousand square kilometres wide and with a fraction of the Roman empire’s revenues determined the Western world’s destiny. When Athenians came to the conclusion that a random collection of equal citizens makes better decisions than kings and tyrants, a radical new form of self-rule was born, one that inspires and guides much of Western civilization to this day. Perhaps even more importantly Athens bequeathed a framework of scientific inquiry that continues to nurture the creativity and innovation that is a hallmark of Western societies and the source of their enduring strength all these centuries later. Arguing for the motion is Ian Morris, an archeologist, the Willard Professor of Classics at Stanford University and a best-selling author. His most recent book is the award-winning Why the West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History and What they Reveal. Arguing against the motion is Barry Strauss, who holds an Endowed Chair at Cornell University where he is the Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies. He has written numerous best-selling books about Rome including most recently Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Christina Campbell Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast digs into three stories in the news. First, what does Republican win in the Virginia’s gubernatorial race say about the state and future of Joe Biden’s presidency? Second, COP26 is wrapping up with some meaningful pledges, but why is the conference coming up short in terms of instilling its sense of urgency about the threat climate change among the broader public? And finally, we discuss Canada’s big pledge at COP26 or capping oil sands emissions by 2025. Is it fair Western Canada bears the brunt of the country’s climate mitigation efforts? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

COVID-19 presented a monumental shift in the way people work. Home offices replaced commutes and cubicles, ZOOM calls took over from conference rooms, and communication went from in person to over Slack. Some people believe now is the time to re-think other conventional work practises as well, specifically the five-day work week. Companies that have experimented with fewer workday hours showed an increase in productivity, better employee retention, higher recruitment of skilled workers, and overall happier staff. Shorter weeks, proponents of the 4-day work week argue, also promote gender equality by allowing mothers and caretakers more flexible hours to do their work. Companies do better when their staff are happier, rested, and live more balanced lifestyles. Others argue that trimming the work week without affecting the bottom line is a fantasy. Companies would require extraordinary gains in productivity to make up for lost hours, and access to services would decline. Certain public service professionals, like doctors or teachers, simply cannot do more work in less time, thereby requiring the government to hire more workers at great cost to the taxpayer. And finally, many hourly wage workers depend on the five-day work week to make ends meet. Awarding a long weekend to the laptop class while requiring everyone else to work 40 hours will deepen divisions in the labour market and exacerbate already existing inequalities.  Arguing for the motion is Andrew Barnes, founder of Perpetual Guardian and author of The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Well-being, and Create a Sustainable Future. Arguing against the motion is Julian Jessop, former Chief Economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs. QUOTES: ANDREW BARNES “A 4-day work week is good for business, it's good for our people, it's good for our countries, and it's good for our planet.” JULIAN JESSOP “The idea that almost everybody could expect to work four days rather than five and still get the same pay they did before is unrealistic.” Sources: Euronews, BBC, WGRZ-TV, KTLA The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected]. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three topics in the news. First, Joe Biden lays his presidency on the line to try and secure the support necessary in his own party to pass a $1.7 trillion human and physical infrastructure bill. What is at sake here for American politics, equity and the economy? Next up on the program Janice and Rudyard discuss the COP26 meeting and how the contest between democracies and authoritarian regimes are threatening to derail meaningful action on climate change. Is it time for carbon tariffs to push back against countries that are not cutting emissions fast enough? And finally, Canada has new defence and foreign affairs ministers. What do these appointments say about the future of these two important portfolios? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Traditional religious holidays are losing ground in a rapidly secularizing world. Halloween, on the other hand, keeps gaining steam.  Decorative pumpkins, elaborate costumes, and a cornucopia of sweet confections all signal that Halloween is upon us.  But for the hardcore Halloween reveler, Halloween means one thing: horror movies.  Horror films allow us to experience our fears from the comfort of our couch, confront them, and work through them.  But all horror movies are not created equal. Since the earliest days of the genre, few directors have reached the heights of John Carpenter. Horror aficionados, fellow directors, and film scholars hold Carpenter in the highest esteem for his ability to create fear from the mundane and believable, and his use of music to create an unparalleled sense of tension and atmosphere of impending doom. They argue Carpenter is the true master of modern horror, and all others are swimming in his wake. But another camp of horror fans disagree, and point to another director as the true master of modern horror. David Cronenberg’s intricate weave of psychological and physical horrors create dynamic, challenging and thought provoking films that have expanded the definition of the genre.  They argue that no other director has done more to push horror into the future, permanently redefining what we need fear. Arguing for the motion is Paul Tremblay, horror superfan and award-winning author of Survivor Song, The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts.  Arguing against the motion is Noel Carroll, professor of philosophy at the CUNY graduate Center, specializing in the contemporary philosophy of art and film and the author of The Philosophy of Horror. Paul Tremblay: “I like to think of a horror film as the reveal of a terrible truth”. Noel Carroll: “The genre has always been about violations of the familiar”. Sources: Halloween (1978) [Compass International Pictures], Shivers (1975) [Cinépix Film Properties (CFP)], The Thing (1982) [Universal], The Fog (1980) [AVCO Embassy Pictures], Videodrome (1983) [Filmplan International], The Fly (1986) [Twentieth Century Fox], eXistenZ (1999) [Dimension Films], The Dead Zone (1983) [Paramount] The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [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

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two topics in the news. First, why are the major advanced economies of the world stimulating asset prices, spending their way into wartime levels of debt but not taxing to raise public revenues to offset the extraordinary costs they have incurred to respond to the pandemic? Is this in any way a serious, sustainable strategy to create stable, equitable and long term economic growth? If not, why have we become so unserious when it comes running our economies and government, and what are potential risks of our current lassie fair approach? And, second, we look ahead to the COP26 meetings starting in Glasgow this weekend. Is the potential for a breakthrough on climate change mitigation over before the conference has started now that China’s Xi is signaling that he is unlikely at attend? How much longer are voters in democracies going to tolerate a political class that talks a good game on targets and the need for collective action but seems unwilling or unable to deliver on a substantive agenda that effects real and last change? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Falling wages. Failing infrastructure. Soaring public debts. Many believe that America’s future looks anything but bright. Stark ideological and partisan divisions have fractured the country at home while a string of failed foreign military interventions have soured Americans on the country’s role as defender of the liberal international order. Add in exploding disparities between rich and poor, a bungled pandemic response, and lacklustre economic growth and you have all the markers of a country in decline. Others argue that betting against America has always been a losing proposition. Declinists fail to account for the country’s amazing ability to adapt and re-invent itself time and time again. From world beating technological innovations in Silicon Valley to vaccine breakthroughs to the frontiers of commercial space exploration, America has proven it can rise to meet new challenges and opportunities. The strength of its diversity, size of its population, its entrepreneurial drive, military might, and financial prowess all ensure its continued dominance as a global power in the 21st century. In a world beset with authoritarian regimes, statist economies and the absence of human liberty, America will remain a powerful magnet for talented people the world over committed to democracy and freedom. Arguing for the motion is Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator of the Financial Times and author of Easternization: Asia's Rise and America's Decline From Obama to Trump and Beyond. Arguing against the motion is Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of America vs the West: Can the Liberal World Order Be Preserved? QUOTES: GIDEON RACHMAN “I've never seen the country in the state it's in now...it seems to me to be of a different order and one that does raise quite profound questions about the enduring success of the American experiment.”  KORI SCHAKE “Don’t underestimate the loud raucous conflictual way America solves its problems... that’s how we have traditionally clawed our way towards being a better republic and I believe that continues to happen now.” Sources: The Hill, CNET, Global News, CNN, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, Thames TV, ABC The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three stories in the news. Talk of rising inflation was everywhere this week with an above-consensus CPI print in the U.S., soaring energy prices and a major Canadian bank CEO highlighting the growing risk of “sticky” inflation building across the economy. Are we in the early moments of a sustained upswing inflation? Or, are the deflationary forces stalking the global economy before COVID what lies in our mid-term futures? – Czech voters went to the polls this week and removed their populist, incumbent Prime Minister. Is this a sign that populism in on the wane in Europe? – And, Canada will see the swearing in of a new cabinet later this month. What can we expect in terms of players and personalities? Is there any reason to hope our political culture could allow for some strong voices and personalities in the country’s next cabinet? Janice and Rudyard discuss it all. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

While the conversation around a universal basic income - a government program which provides every adult with regular cash payments - has gained traction in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the fringe experimental program into a reality for millions of people around the globe. Facing skyrocketing unemployment and an impending economic crisis, some governments decided to act swiftly and without conditions: they transferred cash directly into the hands of all their citizens - regardless of age, income, or geography. Proponents of UBI see the pandemic era handouts as proof that the program works. COVID-19 exacerbated income inequality and sped up technological innovation which disproportionately hurt lower wage earners and marginalized communities. Direct cash payments offered financial security to society’s most vulnerable and helped transform the broken relationship between individuals and the labour market. It bought precious time and resources for those seeking new economic opportunities in a rapidly-changing workforce. Critics worry that UBI disincentivizes work and rewards indolence. They point to pandemic recovery rehiring difficulties as proof that getting cash handouts without strings attached encourages people to stay out of the workforce all together. Re-positioning government into the role of economic provider threatens individual aspiration for self-reliance and betterment. Furthermore, the already well-off do not need to benefit from cash handouts. If the government wants to address racial and economic injustices it would have much more success by enriching already existing social welfare programs that target those most in need. Arguing for the motion is Scott Santens, Senior Advisor to Humanity Forward and Editor of Basic Income Today. Arguing against the motion is Oren Cass, executive director of American Compass and author of The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America. QUOTES: SCOTT SANTENS “Basic income is an acknowledgement that everyone has basic needs, and we should make sure that those absolute most basic needs are being met at all times.” OREN CASS “It has always been an American tradition to value reciprocity, and a universal basic income runs directly against that.” Sources: ABC News, Global, Yang Speaks, CNBC, Newzroom Afrika The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected]. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members Podcast explores two events in the news. First up, what is driving surging energy prices around the world? With some governments now subsidizing consumer and business use of hydrocarbons what is the fate and future of the climate change agenda? The show’s second half looks the implications of China’s increasingly aggressive air incursions in and around Taiwan. Is America willing and prepared to militarily defend the Taiwanese? What risks are the Chinese running – economically and geopolitically – in continuing to assert their interest through demonstrations of military force and so called “wolf pack” diplomacy. Rudyard and Janice discuss it all. To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.