The Munk Debates Podcast

When COVID-19 shut down schools around the world last March, it launched an unprecedented experiment in education with a billion students as participants. At the heart of this experiment is the home computer, the new conduit to teachers, classmates and learning. Supporters of digital education say that the pandemic offers a much-needed opportunity to rethink our approach to lea...

The lowest oil prices in history thanks to stalled economies in lockdown. A President Elect and a Green New Deal that promises a carbon neutral America in a decade. Governments pledging to make the internal combustion engines illegal within a decade. It seems like the way we have powered our civilization for two plus centuries, using hydrocarbons, is on the way out as we welcome an energy revoluti...

Some proponents of liberal democracy are interpreting the US election results - and Donald Trump's near win - as a warning sign that the pulse of populist politics still beats strong in the American body politic, an ill tiding for other liberal democracies currently trying to fend off populist insurgencies. Critics of populism say it is not inconceivable, if action isn't taken to&nb...

We're heading into the twelfth month of a global pandemic and in many places the spread of COVID-19 shows no signs of slowing down. As infections continue to surge, countries in the northern hemisphere have started to reimpose lockdowns restricting people's movement and social interactions and closing portions of their economies. Many political leaders and their public health advisors argue that t...

The election wasn't supposed to turn out this way, according to months of American election polling. Survey after survey and breathless media commentary predicted that Joe Biden would beat Donald Trump in popular vote by upwards of 6, 8, even 10 percent. The same polls and media commentators projected the Democrats with winning margins in the key battleground states of Florida, South Carolina...

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, James Carville, U.S. Democratic Party political strategist and bestselling author, on the likely outcomes of the November 3rd U.S. Presidential election. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

On this episode of the Munk Debates podcast, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and best selling author, Newt Gingrich, joins us to discuss the legacy of Trump's first term as president and where U.S. politics might be headed after November 3. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues....

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, former U.S. labour secretary, Robert Reich, joins us to discuss the once in a generation societal challenges presented by COVID-19. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Michael Eric Dyson, best-selling author joins us to discuss the future of the politics of race in the shadow of the most consequential U.S. election in a generation. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See...

On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast Maggie Haberman, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times' White House correspondent, joins us for a behind the scenes look at President Trump's re-election bid. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

Flouting mask wearing as means to help control the pandemic. Forcing states to secure critical medical supplies and bootstrap their own testing capacity. Touting hydroxychloroquine as a key COVID therapy. These are some of the more memorable features of the national pandemic response of the United States to date. A response that has led the US to have the largest number of COVID deaths globally &n...

Weeks to go to one of the most consequential elections in a generation and the incumbent, President Donald Trump, is facing an increasingly challenging political environment. His Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, has enjoyed a consistent lead in the national polls as well in many key swing states. Add in a pandemic that has killed over two hundred thousand Americans and the conditions are ripe for p...

A wall that stretches 300 miles along the US-Mexico border. The suspension of the Dreamers program that shielded 800,000 children born to undocumented immigrants from deportation. The launch of a zero-tolerance policy that separates unauthorized migrants from their children. These are some of the hallmarks of the immigration policy of President Donald Trump's administration. Tackling the growing n...

Six months into the pandemic researchers continue to be perplexed by COVID-19. There are many unknowns with the virus, and one of the most controversial is its deadliness. Leading health institutions have warned that COVID-19 is much more dangerous than the seasonal flu and that without expansive public health measures millions of people could die from the virus. But there are some in the scientif...

In a world where shutdowns and quarantines have become the norm, Sweden stands out for choosing a pandemic strategy that is markedly different than its peer nations.  In Sweden, bars, restaurants, public spaces, and most significantly, elementary schools have continued to operate since COVID-19 began its spread through the country last March. Supporters of the Swedish model argue that its str...

Since the beginning of human civilization, men have been the dominant sex. But now, for the first time, a host of indicators suggest that women are not only achieving equality with men but are fast emerging as the more successful sex of the species. Critics of the argument that men are in decline argue that the age-old power structures associated with “maleness” remain as entrenched as...

Throughout the Western world, politics is undergoing a sea-change. Long-held notions of the role of government, trade and economic policy, foreign policy and immigration are being challenged by populist thinkers and movements. Does this surging populist agenda in Western nations signal a permanent shift in our politics? Or, is it a passing phenomenon that will remain at the fringes of society and...

Over five million cases. More than 160,000 deaths and counting. The US currently leads the global tally for the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile some countries, originally devastated by the coronavirus, are reopening successfully after driving new infections down to manageable levels. Some say the only way to prevent tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. is a second wave of shutd...

To address the devastating economic impacts of COVID-19 Western governments have unleashed an unprecedented wave of monetary and fiscal stimulus. The US stimulus package includes trillions of dollars of liquidity for financial markets, the direct purchase of billions in corporate debt by central banks, and billions more in low interest loans and wage supports for big businesses. Supporters of thes...

The economic fallout from COVID-19 has compelled governments around the world to launch the largest fiscal and monetary aid programs in living memory, incurring massive deficits in the process. This is happening at the same time as a radical, new approach to economic policy making is gaining momentum: Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Its proponents believe that governments that issue their own curren...

COVID-19: Have we seen the last of the big city boom? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, renowned urbanists Richard Florida and Joel Kotkin argue the motion Be it resolved COVID-19 spells the end of the big city boom. SOURCES: KHOU 11, CBS Miami, New York State, WGN News, Fox Business, CTV News, BBC News Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length...

Has #MeToo gone too far? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Harvey Weinstein's attorney, Donna Rotunno, and Jane Manning, a former sex crimes prosecutor, argue the motion Be it resolved the #MeToo movement has gone too far. SOURCES: MSNBC, Global News, thedailybeast, ABC News, CBSN Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Foc...

Is it time to defund police? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Minneapolis City Council Member Alondra Cano and Retired Deputy Chief Wayne Harris argue the motion Be it resolved it is time to defund police and reimagine public safety in our communities. SOURCES: Lexington Herald Leader, ABC News, Reuters, CBC Television, ABC10, Global News, CBSN Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get...

COVID-19: Is globalization a failed experiment? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, former World Bank VP, Ian Goldin, and economics commentator Marshall Auerback argue the motion Be it resolved the COVID-19 pandemic proves that globalization is a failed experiment. SOURCES: Sky News, Global News, Politico, The Whitehouse, Yahoo Finance, Deutsche Welle, France 24, RT America Become a Munk...

COVID-19: Is China's system of governance better than liberal democracy? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Chinese scholar Zhang Weiwei and Oxford professor Timothy Garton Ash argue the motion Be it resolved, China's ability to defeat Covid-19 proves its system of governance is a better model than liberal democracy. SOURCES: CNBC, CNN, PBS Newshour, Fox News, Bloomberg News, BBC, NDT Te...