The Munk Debates Podcast

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This 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 podcast@munkdebates.com. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

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

This past year has seen an onslaught of disruptions that call into question our ability to coexist with our environment. The devastating effects of climate change have arrived, and show no signs of abating. Flash flooding has swept across China and Northern Europe. The Eastern United States has been inundated by hurricanes of historic size. Record breaking heat waves and wildfires have decimated large swaths of Western North America. And a global pandemic continues to rage on. All of this begs the question, must we look elsewhere in our universe to ensure the survival of humanity? A growing movement of astrophysicists, biologists, and billionaire space enthusiasts believes our salvation does indeed lie offplanet. Supporters of this movement argue that we are on the cusp of technology that puts this possibility within reach, and that exploration and settlement to deal with issues of environmental instability and scarcity is nothing new. Settling the reachable regions of our universe is merely an extension of this age-old trend. But detractors of the plans to settle space dismiss it as an immeasurably expensive fever dream. In their minds, it would be far more prudent to invest our time and resources into fixing the problems here on Earth, the only known planet to host life. Beyond the massive technological advancements required, there are simply far too many unknowns about how and where life originated to assume it can be simply transported through the cosmos. Arguing for the motion is Milan Cirkovic, Research Professor at the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade and author of Global Catastrophic Risks. Arguing against the motion is Lord Martin Rees, Lord Martin Rees Astronomer Royal, former President of The Royal Society. He is the author of On the Future whose updated paperback edition is due out in October, and The End of Astronauts due out in March of 2022. Milan Cirkovic: “There are many human achievements which, almost by definition, could never be realized if humanity remains bound to Earth.” Lord Martin Rees: “It is a dangerous delusion to think that we could escape the Earth's problems by going to Mars." Sources: Engadget, Blue Origin, SpaceX, European Space Agency, World Government Summit and 60 Minutes Australia The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focus on two important stories in the news. First up, the return of the “two Michael’s” and what this says about the past, present and future of Canada’s relationship with China and the brewing energy crisis in China and Europe. Janice and Rudyard discuss the three important takeaways from China’s return of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Does the end resolution of this diplomatic crisis herald a reset in Canada-China relations or a return to closer ties? And second, as coal, gas and oil prices surge globally, are we collectively at risk of a 1970s style energy crisis? What will the effect be on inflation and the climate change fight as renewables struggle to keep up global power demand? To access the full length episode consider becoming a Munk Member. Membership is free. Simply log on to www.munkdebates.com/membership to register. Under your membership profile page you will find a link to listen to the full length editions of Munk Members Podcast. If you like what the Munk Debates is all about consider becoming a Supporting Member. For as little as $9.99 monthly you receive unlimited access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, monthly newsletter, ticketing privileges at our live and online events and a charitable tax receipt (for Canadian residents). To explore you Munk Membership options visit www.munkdebates.com/membership. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It has become one of the more divisive topics in today’s culture wars: what to do with the statues of historical figures with controversial pasts. And while many can agree that the monuments of Robert E Lee and Edward Colston should not stand in city centres, the debate becomes murkier when the likes of Winston Churchill, John A MacDonald, Queen Victoria, and Abraham Lincoln enter the fray. Those calling for statues to come down and streets to be renamed argue that this is not a case of ‘cancel culture’. Rather, it is an overdue re-examination of past heroes and their subjugation of marginalized groups. Those who promoted racist and imperialist policies in their time should not be given the privilege of public glorification in ours. Others argue that social justice “mobs” are ignoring the context in which these transgressions took place, viewing history through a distorted lens comprised of their own values and assumptions and purposely rewriting the past to serve their ideological purposes today. If progressives succeed in their purity purge we will be left with no heroes, no history, and no nuanced understanding of our own past. Arguing for the motion is Cornell William Brooks, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School and a former President of the NAACP. Arguing against the motion is George F Will, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for the Washington Post and author of American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent. QUOTES: CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS “When you have commemoration, as opposed to education, it leads to misinformation. And it literally debilitates our ability to grapple with the past in order to come to grips with the present.” GEORGE WILL “My worry is about the question of control. I don't want to control the past. I want the past to be faced as what it was, and not controlled for any political agenda, good, bad or indifferent." Sources: City News, CTV, Washington Post, ABC, WPRI,  The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast. The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three stories in the news: Europe is in the news with historic elections taking place in Germany which portend a new and different future for the world’s largest political union and France’s Macron melts down over the new UK, US and Australia security pact. What do these two interconnected stories say about Europe’s domestic politics and future as a unit of global power and influence?; China’s central bank moves against cryptocurrencies suggesting a possible ban could be in the offing. Why is Beijing cracking down on the likes of Bitcoin? Will Western government’s follow suit as domestic currencies come under more pressure as public debts reach new all time highs? And, how should we be interpreting the Canadian election? Does this week’s inconclusive result set the country up for a period of instability or is it simply the reflection of Canada’s new normal. 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.

Philanthropy, the act of giving, the sharing of one's resources is an inscrutable facet of our social compact. But as global economic trends widen the disparity between the haves and have-nots, the act of philanthropic giving has come under increased scrutiny. In just the last 18 months, billionaires have increased their wealth by $1.2 trillion dollars as markets boom while the rest of the global economy crumbles. And in the spirit of altruism, billionaires have committed portions of this windfall to serve the people most in need. But is it really making a difference? A growing movement of scholars, thinkers, and politicians believe the time has come to call these philanthropic efforts what they are: expensive PR campaigns that valorize extreme wealth and perpetuate a status quo of crushing inequality. If billionaires wanted to help the world, they would push for higher taxes, a greater role for government, and a fairer division of society’s scarce resources. Supporters of large-scale philanthropy argue the critics' arguments are simplistic and ill informed. Citizens should be angry at governments for letting the urgent problems we face as species fester for generations. It’s billionaire donors, not governments, who are stepping up with creative solutions to some of the biggest global challenges. In our time, billionaire philanthropy is creating tangible benefits for millions of people around the world by addressing urgent public health crises, environmental degradation and pushing for accountability on behalf of all donors. The world is a better place thanks to billionaire philanthropy and we are all benefiting from their charity. Arguing for the motion is Rob Reich, the Director of Stanford's McCoy Center for Ethics in Society, co-director of Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and author of Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How it Can Do Better. Arguing against the motion is Beth Breeze, the Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at University of Kent and author of upcoming book In Defense of Philanthropy due out this November. Rob Reich: “We should direct our scrutiny at the rich people for how they make their money, as well as how they give it away”. Beth Breeze: “Philanthropy simply means love of humankind. I'm in favor of more, not less human kindness in our society”. Sources: CNN, CNBC, ABC, and ABC News Australia The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja

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 features a live taping of podcast held in Toronto, Canada on September 16. Janice and Rudyard discuss the upcoming Canadian federal election, the changing of the guard in Europe with Merkel’s exit from politics and why western government are increasingly struggling with one of the their most basic tasks: the competent delivery of public programs and services. A note to our non-Canadian listeners: this episodes is heavy on Canadian politics due to our upcoming election. The podcast will return to its usual format next week. 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.

What began as early summer optimism about the end of the pandemic has turned into frustration, anger, and worry over a steep rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations. Many are pointing the finger at the unvaccinated, accusing them of selfish and risky behaviour that puts everyone else’s lives, and livelihoods, at risk. Hospital ICUs are filling up again, health care workers are being forced back to the frontline, and taxpayers are expected to foot the bill for those who refused the shot. Some schools are being required to go online again, and many businesses will not be able to recover. With only 61% of US adults fully vaccinated, the virus will be able to circulate, and we run the risk of developing a new breed of vaccine-resistant strains. Some medical practitioners are calling on the government to step in: if individuals refuse to do their part and get the shot, mandates must be introduced to force them to do so. Others argue that draconian edicts such as vaccine mandates harm public health. Not only will they erode trust and increase vaccine hesitancy, but they could also court unnecessary risks for youth and children. Young people are far less likely to develop serious health complications from COVID and therefore should not be required to take vaccines whose potential effects have not been studied over the longer term. And finally, mandating shots in wealthy countries indirectly denies protection for older, more vulnerable populations in the developing world. Everyone should be given the ability to choose what they put in their body, else we become a nation where our basic freedoms play second fiddle to public health. Arguing for the motion is Paul Offit, Professor of Vaccinology and Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Arguing against the motion is Martin Kulldorff, biostatistician, epidemiologist and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. QUOTES: PAUL OFFIT “This is a contagious disease, and it is not your right to spread this disease to others and cause harm... we have to compel people to do the right thing because they seem not to want to do the right thing on their own.”  MARTIN KULLDORFF “If we want to have long-term trust in public health, we cannot use coercion and mandates. We have to use education and mutual trust.” Sources:  ABC, NBC, CBC, FOX The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja