The Munk Debates Podcast

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard step back from day-to-day international events to go deeper into the futures and fates of two nations that exemplify the pressures and changes the current geopolitical environment is forcing on countries around the world. Japan and Germany share the history of being defeated WWII powers that rose in the intervening decades to become economic powerhouses. As great power tensions soar, they are being forced to choose sides and abandon longstanding policies of non-aggression and demilitarization. Where does this all lead? And what do countries like Japan and Germany say about the future of geopolitics? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

For the first time in almost three years, most white collar professionals are back in the office, at least some of the time.  The pandemic unleashed sweeping, societal change virtually overnight, and among the largest of those changes, was the way that we work. But now, almost three years later, we have returned to some semblance of normalcy.  But hybrid and flexible work schedules have persisted.  And for many managers, consultants, and economists, the cat may be out of the bag for good.  These folks argue that given their newfound flexibility and improved work/life balance, workers will never return to the office 5 days a week.  And that’s probably not such a bad thing. There is no demonstrable drop in productivity working from home.  The reduction in commuting time may even increase overall worker output. And given worker’s preference for greater flexibility, hybrid work is undoubtedly the future. But detractors argue that standard metrics of productivity are missing the big picture.  Perhaps what works in the short term may have serious consequences in the long term. How can companies maintain a corporate culture without a central space? How can managers develop and foster young talent without in person interaction? And how can society as a whole progress without the impromptu creative interactions that are a hallmark of functioning office spaces? In short, hybrid work may be the present, but it is not the future.    Arguing for the motion is Raj Choudhury, Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School whose research is focused on studying the Future of Work.   Arguing against the motion is Allison Schrager, Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. Speaker Quotes  RAJ CHOUDHURY: “The day of traveling to a downtown office five days a week is over. And there are different creative ways to arrange work, and why don't the teams decide what's best for them?”.   ALLISON SCHRAGER: “Technology is changing and I have no doubt the nature of work is going to change, but it still doesn't change the way humans are”. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.     Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/   To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.     To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/   Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch     

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the program with a look back at a big week in financial news and markets. The U.S. Federal Reserve slowed its rate hikes to 25 points for the first time, and stocks soared while longer-duration interest rates plunged. What does this say about the future of the fight against inflation? The show wraps up with a discussion of the security and political situation in Israel and the high-stakes fight between the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s highest court. To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It’s the annual event that no major businessman or policy-maker dares to miss. Among the famous attendees of the most recent World Economic Forum in Davos were the CEO’s of Amazon, BlackRock, Pfizer, JPMorgan Chase, the head of the FBI, publisher of The New York Times, and heads of states from all corners of the earth.  This exclusive get together of the world’s elite has a noble mission statement: to improve the state of the world through public-private participation. Critics of the forum, however, argue that the annual event has become a rich person’s playground where out of touch corporate elites meet in private to make important decisions about global policy without scrutiny or consultation. While chief executives meet under the noble pretense of solving poverty and climate change, most attendees use the forum to further their business interests and make themselves richer. Davos’s supporters argue that the annual forum is more important now than ever before. From climate change, to food and energy inflation, to geopolitical instability, the global crises we face require collective action through cooperation and interdependence. Relationships and collaborations forged in Davos have and continue to bring about real world solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Davos might be elite, its supporters concede, but its also effective in working towards global prosperity and peace. Arguing for the motion is Don Tapscott, CEO of the Tapscott Group and the co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute Arguing against the motion is Peter S. Goodman, the global economic correspondent for The New York Times and the author of DAVOS MAN: How the Billionaires Devoured the World     The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the program with a catch-up on an action-packed week of news on the Ukraine War. Heavy tanks are now on their way to Kiev. Could this be a turning point in the war? The second half of the show features a discussion about kids and how the trend of programming children’s schedules down to the hour is impacting young people.   To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

2023 is here, and with it come new year's resolutions, a new congress, and the unofficial start date for 2024 primary campaigning.  Joe Biden’s first two years in office have certainly been a bit of a mixed bag.  He has passed some monumental, bipartisan legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Bill, and COVID aid.  But he’s also had quite a few bobbles.  Afghanistan, Student Debt Relief, and a bleak economic landscape.  All of this begs the question, is Biden really the best person to lead Democrats into the 2024 election? Some beltway insiders and political pundits argue that in spite of Biden’s weaknesses, he has a track record to point to that will appeal to voters. His record of bipartisan accomplishments will help hold together the coalition that delivered him the White House in 2020, including moderate suburban and independent swing voters.  And the results of the midterms show, the democrats are in the driver’s seat.  Why fix something that isn’t broken? But others argue it’s time for Biden to pass the baton and bow out of the race.  Biden is too old to run let alone govern, and his approval rating is marred in the low 40s.  There is a new crop of democratic talent that has emerged since 2020, and given Biden’s political baggage, each of them has a better chance of securing the presidency in 2024. Arguing for the motion is Allan Lichtman, Former chair and distinguished professor in History at American University in Washington, DC.  He is the author of several award winning books on American and presidential history, and his prediction system, the Keys to the White House, has correctly predicted the outcomes of all US presidential elections since 1984. Arguing against the motion is Ross Barkan, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and New York Magazine. Speaker Quotes  Allan Lichtman: “Substantively and politically, he should run again. The unheralded Joe Biden has achieved the greatest record of domestic accomplishments since the 1960s”. Ross Barkan:  Joe Biden is going to be the nominee if he runs. No one is going to challenge Joe Biden. The party has coalesced around Biden, but parties don't always make the right decision”. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch   

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the program with a discussion of the debate this week that raged between NATO powers about sending heavy tanks to Ukraine. Why is Germany ragging the puck on its tanks? And, what is at stake in terms of the next chapter in Europe’s biggest conflict since WWII? The second half of the program dissects a wild week in Canadian healthcare with Ontario announcing new private clinics and Ottawa leaking that a major federal bailout of provincial health systems may be close to fruition. The show concludes with a half-serious discussion of the week’s Davos summit and whether this elite confab has a future or not. To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com

One might assume, based on the film depictions of famous drug lords like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo, that the heyday of cocaine and its production in Latin America was during the 1980’s and 1990’s. According to journalist and author Toby Muse, those assumptions are dead wrong. South America, he argues, is producing more cocaine than ever before, reaching corners of the earth previously untouched by the deadly drug. Toby joins us for a fascinating discussion about how this dangerous and illegal industry transforms entire towns and surrenders them to criminal organizations on a scale that is unprecedented.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz  

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the program with a discussion of Japan’s recent lobbying of the G8 for deeper trade, military and technology cooperation. What is Japan up to? Why is China being seen as a regional threat by Asian powers like Japan? The second half of the program for Munk donors explores Brazil’s copycat riots of the January 6 insurrection in the U.S. and whether Canadian real estate is headed for a hard landing thanks to new lending regulations. To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com

Mark Cuban, one of America’s most famous and successful entrepreneurs, recently launched a new drug company - Cost Plus Drugs - that is disrupting the healthcare industry and significantly reducing the cost of prescription drugs for millions of Americans. In this episode, he extols the virtues of a capitalist system that is able to identify and provide real world solutions to problems that are often ignored by government agencies. Mark also shares his thoughts on the risk of a recession in 2023, how AI and ChatGPT could displace millions of knowledge workers, Elon Musk’s takeover of twitter, and why billionaires like himself are often demonized by politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz