Open to Debate

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe, the World Health Organization is warning of the spread of something else – an information epidemic or “infodemic.” And while diligent consumers of the news are inundated with stats, graphs, press conferences, and think-pieces, so too are they exposed to dubious data, miscredited quotations, and outright harmful claims. In this episode, John Donvan sits down with two leading experts in the spread of information, journalist and editor-in-chief of PolitiFact Angie Drobnic Holan and computer scientist and associate professor of Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington Kate Starbird, for a discussion on how to be discerning communicators during a time of crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The targeted killing of General Qassim Suleimani sent shockwaves around the world and sparked staunch debate about the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign. Supporters argue that this strategy, which includes leaving the JCPOA and imposing harsh economic sanctions, will safeguard American interests, quell Tehran's human rights abuses, and halt the state's support of terrorist networks. But opponents see "maximum pressure" as dangerously misguided. They argue that abandoning the hard-fought JCPOA and undermining the Iranian economy has promoted violence, isolated allies, and fueled anti-American sentiment. Is the maximum pressure campaign against Iran working? Presented in partnership with the Hoover Institution at Stanford UniversityMotion: The Maximum Pressure Campaign Against Iran Is WorkingFor the Motion:Victor Davis Hanson - Military Historian & Author, “The Case for Trump”H. R. McMaster - Retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army & Former National Security AdvisorAgainst the Motion:Martha Crenshaw - Terrorism Studies Expert & Author, “Explaining Terrorism”Abbas Milani - Iranian Studies Program Director, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zionism, or the belief in the Jewish right to self-determination in the land of Israel, has been the topic of contentious global debate for decades. And while the United States government is making moves to strengthen its special relationship with Israel, such as relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, scrutiny of Israel and its government looms large in American politics. Is it possible to distinguish anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism?For the Motion:Bret Stephens - Op-Ed Columnist, New York TimesEinat Wilf - Former Member, Israeli ParliamentAgainst the Motion:Peter Beinart - Journalist & Author, “The Crisis of Zionism”Yousef Munayyer - Executive Director, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the nation gears up for the 2020 presidential election, we ask: Is the two-party system good for democracy? Does relying on two hugely powerful political bodies drive division and push voters to the extremes? Or does the two-party system moderate the electorate and make the nation governable? Keynote Conversation:Joanne Freeman - Professor of History and American Studies, Yale UniversityFor the Motion:Yascha Mounk - Author, "The People vs. Democracy"Norman Ornstein - Resident Scholar, American Enterprise InstituteAgainst the Motion:Lee Drutman - Author, "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop"Katherine Gehl - Entrepreneur & Political Reformer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades, the development of nuclear power has sparked staunch debate among scientists, politicians, and activists alike. Proponents claim that nuclear energy is the most effective way to combat climate change while still meeting the world's growing demand for energy. But its critics argue that expanding nuclear energy is dangerous, costly, and ill-advised. Should nuclear energy fuel our future?Keynote Conversation:Bill Nye - Scientist and CEO of the Planetary SocietyFor the Motion:Kirsty Gogan - Co-founder and Executive Director of Energy for HumanityDaniel Poneman - Former Deputy Secretary of EnergyAgainst the Motion:Gregory B. Jaczko - Former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionArjun Makhijani - President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental ResearchA message from our sponsor: Get started and master topics with  thegreatcoursesplus.com/DEBATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the American political system broken? In his new book, Ezra Klein argues that the system isn't malfunctioning, it's doing exactly what it was designed to accomplish. In this special episode of Discourse Disrupters, John Donvan sits down with one of the nation's most prominent political journalists to ask one critical question: Why are we polarized?A message from our sponsors: Watch or listen to Argumentation – and any of The Great Courses Plus’ thousands of lectures - Free for an Entire Month! Get started now thegreatcoursesplus.com/DEBATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does capitalism need saving? In this special episode, Intelligence Squared partners with Foreign Affairs to take a nuanced look at the state of the capitalism debate in America, and the potential problems facing our economic system. Joining host John Donvan is Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz with recent Intelligence Squared alum and Reason editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward.A message from our sponsors: Watch or listen to Argumentation – and any of The Great Courses Plus’ thousands of lectures - Free for an Entire Month! Get started now thegreatcoursesplus.com/DEBATEA message from our partner: Go to www.ForeignAffairs.com/faiq2 and enter the promo code faiq2 for a discounted issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now legal in nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia, physician-assisted suicide has a growing contingency that want to legalize the practice. Will these laws lead to a slippery slope, where the vulnerable are pressured to choose death and human life is devalued? Or do we need to recognize everyone’s basic right to autonomy, the right to end pain and suffering, and the right to choose to die with dignity?FOR THE MOTION:Peter Singer - Philosopher & Professor of Bioethics, Princeton UniversityAndrew Solomon - Author, "Far From the Tree" & Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Columbia UniversityAGAINST THE MOTION:Baroness Ilora Finlay - President, British Medical Association & Member, House of LordsDr. Daniel Sulmasy - Prof. of Medicine and Ethics, University of Chicago & Member, Presidential Bioethics Commission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode of Intelligence Squared U.S., host and moderator John Donvan sits down with our newly appointed CEO Clea Conner to pull back the curtain on how we make our debates, choose debaters, and talk about what happens off the stage.A message from our sponsor: Get 20% off your first purchase by going to nativedeodorant.com and entering promo code DEBATE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Capitalism has always had its critics. But now, a new generation of political leaders, scholars, and activists are calling the free-market system into question. Has capitalism been a force for good? And should it be the economic model of the future?FOR THE MOTION:John Mackey - Co-Founder & CEO, Whole Foods MarketKatherine Mangu-Ward - Editor-in-Chief, ReasonAGAINST THE MOTION:Bhaskar Sunkara - Founding Editor, JacobinRichard D. Wolff - Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Massachusetts AmherstGETQUIP.COM/debate for your first refill free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices