Cato Event Podcast

Since the early years of the Trump administration, “great power competition” has been Washington’s go‐​to formula to describe its approach to foreign policy. The concept holds that Russia and China represent the biggest challenge to U.S. interests and demands a robust, competitive policy response. In a new book, Ali Wyne lays out a thoughtful critique of great power competition and proposes an alternative guiding framework for U.S. foreign policy that is proactive instead of reactive, mindful of the limits of Russian and Chinese power, and leaves greater room for great power cooperation on common threats. Please join us for a discussion with the author and a panel of experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Taliban has held power in Afghanistan for one year. While the United States and its allies maintain sanctions on the group, Afghans are living through a humanitarian and economic disaster. The Taliban has made several promises, such as offering amnesty to soldiers who were members of the Afghan National Security Forces, working toward an “Afghan Islamic–inclusive government,” engaging other stakeholders in a “transition council,” and allowing girls to attend schools. However, the group also “grossly violated” its commitment not to give shelter to al Qaeda, according to the Biden administration, by allowing Ayman al‐​Zawahiri to stay in a safe house in Kabul. What does the Taliban’s evolution (if any) mean for U.S. policy? Does the United States have tools available to push the group in the direction policymakers want it to go? What U.S. interests remain in Afghanistan? To discuss these questions, please join our distinguished panel of experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than a decade ago, Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution gave hope to the Arab world, showing oppressed peoples that longtime dictators can be peacefully ousted. That hope soon failed, brutally, in Egypt, Syria, and Yemen, but Tunisia kept on track throughout the 2010s, proving to be the best democratic hope in an otherwise autocratic and turbulent Middle East.Yet since July 2021, Tunisia’s trajectory has taken an increasingly worrisome reversal as well. President Kais Saied suspended the parliament, claimed all executive power, prohibited public gatherings, arrested political opponents, and imposed travel bans. As Cato senior fellow Doug Bandow recently observed on a visit to Tunisia, this authoritarian turn risks the freedoms Tunisians have been enjoying in the past 10 years and can throw the country back to arbitrary rule by a strongman. The change is concerning for the broader Arab and Muslim world, where Tunisia used to be a rare example and source of inspiration. Join us as we discuss these changes and what Tunisia’s future may hold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did those opposed to or in favor of the Constitution write under pseudonyms? Why did Occupy Wall Street protestors wear Guy Fawkes masks? Why do so many people seek to maintain a level of anonymity in their online activities—including web surfing and posting on social media? In the debate over the right to conceal one’s identity versus the potential harms of anonymity, is it possible to strike a constitutionally sound balance? In his latest book, The United States of Anonymous: How the First Amendment Shaped Online Speech, Jeff Kosseff tackles these and other questions through primary‐​source research and interviews with participants in the debates, as well as through court cases that have shaped the current legal and political climate impacting anonymous speech and the First Amendment. Join us for a discussion about Jeff Kosseff’s timely new book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced big changes in NATO and EU states. But shock at Russia’s aggression and fear of its future intentions seem to point in one direction, whereas its dismal military performance and its vulnerability to economic punishment seem to point in another. NATO and EU expansion are once again on the table. Will the aftermath of the war strengthen NATO and, with it, the central U.S. position in European security? Or can Russian aggression impel greater non‐​NATO security cooperation, giving European states and the EU a larger role to play and a greater say over security affairs in Europe? On the first day of NATO’s summit in Madrid, please join Nicole Koenig and Barry Posen for a discussion of what the war in Ukraine suggests about the future of European security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The experiences of black Americans do not fit neatly into our nation’s political culture. As the authors argue, those on the right fail to acknowledge the gravity of past injustices and rights violations, while those on the left ignore decades of failed paternalism and unintended consequences of government policy. But there is an alternative: classical liberalism, a philosophy based on free markets, individual rights, and vibrant civil society.Exhausted by extremism on both sides, in their new book, Black Liberation through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America, economic philosopher Rachel Ferguson and historian Marcus Witcher argue that classical liberalism provides the building blocks for a free and prosperous society for all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State‐​level drug paraphernalia laws increase the risk of infection or overdose for drug users by preventing legal access to clean needles, syringes, and products to test drugs for deadly contaminants. Every state except Alaska criminalizes the possession and/​or sale of illicit drug paraphernalia. Thus, Alaskans can legally operate needle exchange programs and other harm‐​reduction measures. Recognizing that harm‐​reduction strategies reduce overdoses and disease, many states are considering reforms to their drug paraphernalia laws. To discuss the impact of drug paraphernalia laws on health and how states can implement better rules, we are pleased to have Corey S. Davis, the director of the Harm Reduction Legal Project of the Network for Public Health Law and adjunct faculty at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University; Robin Lutz, executive director of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, which has provided harm‐​reduction services in Alaska since 1985; and Haley B. Coles, executive director of Sonoran Prevention Works, which has been engaged in harm‐​reduction and syringe services in Arizona since 2010. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax policy not only funds governmental efforts but is often itself a driver of policy outcomes. Elected officials in recent years have pushed for or acted upon tax policy as a means for shaping everything from childcare to environmental policy. In this webinar, we’ll explore the role taxation plays in our democracy, the many ways in which it affects our lives, and the current state of debate around taxation in America.Our panel will feature Alex Muresianu, federal tax analyst at The Tax Foundation and Niko Lusiani, the director of the Corporate Power Program at the Roosevelt Institute. Allan Carey, director of Sphere Education Initiative, will moderate the conversation. Zoe Callaway, manager of education and outreach at the Tax Foundation will offer professional development. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The digitalization of financial services has made banking and trading more convenient than ever. But laws that were written before the digital era now collect untold amounts of consumer data to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access. Recent legislative attempts have sought to expand that access even more. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Can cryptocurrency provide better privacy protection? Is it time to rethink how financial privacy is treated in a digital era? Join us for an outstanding virtual program featuring Marta Belcher, Paul Belonick, Michael Mosier, and Jennifer Schulp to discuss financial privacy in the digital era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.