The McGill International Review

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Sheila Liming, an associate professor at Champlain College and the author of Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time. They discuss the inherent benefits that come with social interaction, the importance of awkwardness in conversation, and what it would mean for society to expand its definition of family.   References "Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing T...

Host Ines Fahmi sits down with journalist Karmina Constantino, the incumbent Marshall McLuhan Fellow awarded by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines in 2022. They discuss the importance of the free press, and the relationship and impact that media and politics have on each other.

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with William Deresiewicz, the author of Excellent Sheep and The Death of the Artist. They discuss the degree of intellectual engagement of the American elite, the postmodern turn in post-war American literature, and the increased proliferation of different forms of art over time.

Compte tenu de la grave crise économique et politique au Liban, Marilou el Mabsout et Joseph Abounohra ont rencontré Sara El-Yafi, politologue libanaise de la Harvard Kennedy School. Sara retourne sur les causes de l’explosion du port de Beyrouth du 4 août 2020 et nous fournit une analyse de la situation actuelle.   Un grand merci à CKUT pour son aide dans la production de cet épisode.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with David Sax, a Canadian freelance journalist and the author of The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World. They discuss what it would take for humanity to opt into a more human future, and how that future would run counter to the increased prevalence of digital technology in our everyday lives.   Episode Notes "The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Huma...

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Greg Sargent, a columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the US's midterm election results from last year, the legislative standstill on immigration, and the CHIPS and Science Act.   References   "Kevin Forbid" from Positively Dreadful   "One of MAGA’s biggest fantasies faces a brutal reality check" by Greg Sargent, The Washington Post   "Greg Sargen...

Host Anzhu Wei sits down with Alizé Carrère to discuss how cities have adapted to climate change. Alizé is a researcher, filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer, and PhD candidate at the University of Miami. In this episode, they discuss how architects, urban planners, and policymakers have responded to environmental concerns.   This episode also covers the rise of aspirational city-making plans,...

Host Ines Fahmi sits down with Josie Luetke, Director of Education and Advocacy for Life Coalition and member of the National March for Life organizing committee to discuss abortion rights in the United States. They are joined by Anya Narang, a writer at The McGill International Review, to debate the state of access to abortion.

Host Marion-Ines Le Pape sits down with Christian Esguerra, Filipino journalist and recipient of the Marshall McLuhan Fellowship, to discuss the dangers of disinformation, and how the media can help minimize its threats and spread in a time when truth and historical facts are compromised.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Chloe Valdary, the head of Theory of Enchantment. They discuss the way that her program differs from other comparable initiatives, what it hopes to achieve, and how it uses pop culture to better encapsulate its themes.   References   Chloé Valdary on How to be a (True) Antiracist from The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk   Can Chloé Valdary Sell Skeptics on DEI? by Conor...

The 2022 Quebec general election saw the CAQ affirm its sweeping success from 2018, with François Legault doubling down on his controversial policies and broad, populist platform. Surging from seemingly nowhere, the CAQ has established itself as a serious long-term party for Quebec, with Legault cementing his place as the definitive figure of Quebec for the coming years. Host Skyler Bohnert delves...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Leah Boustan, an economics professor at Princeton University. They discuss the performance of immigrant families relative to their peers in the US, the way geographical factors play an extremely large role in economic performance, and what causes public opinion on immigration to shift over time.   References   Streets of Gold by Leah Boustan and Ran Abramitzky   Slow...

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Nate Hochman, an ISI fellow at National Review. They discuss the New Right’s presence as an emergent cultural phenomenon, its distinct differences from paleo conservatism, and the movement’s attempts to use state power in favor of their goals.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with science writer and editor Yasmin Tayag, to discuss hygiene theater and the helpfulness of various COVID-related safety precautions.   References How Are We Possibly Still Disinfecting Things? by Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic America Is Running Out of ‘COVID Virgins’ by Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic Hygiene Theater Is a Huge Waste of Time by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic Why...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Henry Olsen, a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. They discuss Doug Ford's recent re-election win in Ontario, the center of opinion in the Republican Party, and Mike Pence's desire to run for President.   References   Doug Ford’s sweeping win in Ontario is a model for populist Republicans by Henry Olsen, The W...

Host Ali Shabani sits down with Cindy Finn, the director-general of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. They discuss the evolving use of technology in schools, the implicit expectations that school policies place on marginalized students, and the importance of consulting a wide array voices before implementing large-scale education policy.   Special thanks to CKUT for helping with the production o...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Moshe Lander, an economics professor at McGill University. They discuss Lander's journey as an economics professor, the misconceptions surrounding our current inflation crisis, and whether or not an economics degree should be subsidized for the sake of positive externalities.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Alyssa Rosenberg, a columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra, the ephemerality of political performance, and Scarlet Witch's arc in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."   References   Two questions to ask before joining the culture war on Russia by Alyssa Rosenberg, The Washington Post   Netflix’s comedown was inevit...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Greg Sargent, a columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the state of the U.S. economy, the New Right, popularism, and the extent to which we can disentangle the cause and effect of either party's electoral success.   References   Bad news about views of the economy gets worse for Democrats by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent, The Washington Post   Behind Tucker C...

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the draconian pandemic restrictions China has instilled in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as the propaganda campaign that's being used to supplement it.   References   Shanghai Residents Face Food Shortages Amid Strict Covid Lockdowns from The Wall Street Journal   Shanghai residents bri...

On April 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a stirring address to the UN Security Council, pleading for them to act in the face of the mass atrocities Russian troops were committing throughout the country. The UN proceeded to do very little. Why has the UN refrained from serious intervention throughout this war? In this episode, host Victoria Aponte sits down with Simon Bertrand,...

Danylo Rybchynski is a Ukrainian citizen. He lives in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. For this episode, I’ve invited him onto the podcast to discuss how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted him.

Host Andrew Wei sits down with Los Angeles Times reporters Stacy Perman and Josh Rottenberg. They discuss the downfall of the Golden Globe Awards, and what it means for the future of entertainment awards ceremonies.

Host Marion-Ines Le Pape sits down with Thomas Graham, former Senior Director for Russia in the National Security Council Staff. They discuss the rising tension between Russia and the Western block, the possibility of a Russian invasion in Ukraine, and the likelihood of an international war.

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Richard Hanania, founder of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology. They discuss the unitary actor model, state capacity, and the developing situation along the Russia-Ukraine border.