Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Bernard-Henri Lévy: America’s Withdrawal from World Leadership Feb 26, 2019

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The United States was once the hope of the world, a beacon of freedom and the defender of liberal democracy. Nations and peoples on all continents looked to America to stand up for the values that created the western world and to oppose autocracy and repression. Even when America did not live up to its ideals, it still recognized their importance at home and abroad. But as Bernard-Henri Lévy lays bare in his powerful and disturbing analysis of the world today, America is retreating from its traditional leadership role, and in its place have come five ambitious powers, former empires eager to assert their primacy and influence. Lévy shows how these five powers―Russia, China, Turkey, Iran and Sunni radical Islamism―are taking steps to undermine the liberal values that have been a hallmark of western civilization. Please join us for a special talk with Bernard-Henri Lévy, one of the world's leading intellectuals.

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Parag Khanna: Understanding the Asian Century Feb 25, 2019

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Parag Khanna says there is no more important region of the world for us to better understand than Asia, and thus, we cannot afford to keep getting Asia so wrong. He says Asia’s complexity has led to common misdiagnoses, namely that western thinking on Asia conflates the entire region with China, predicts imminent World War III around every corner and regularly forecasts debt-driven collapse for the region’s major economies. Khanna says that, in reality, the region is experiencing a confident new wave of growth led by younger societies from India to the Philippines, that nationalist leaders have put aside territorial disputes in favor of integration, and today’s infrastructure investments are the platform for the next generation of digital innovation. Khanna asserts that in the 19th century, the world was Europeanized; in the 20th century, it was Americanized; and now, in the 21st century, the world is being Asianized. He says far greater than just China, the new Asian system taking shape is a multi-civilizational order spanning from Saudi Arabia to Japan, Russia to Australia, Turkey to Indonesia—linking five billion people through trade, finance, infrastructure and diplomatic networks that together represent 40 percent of global GDP. Khanna says Asia is rapidly returning to the centuries-old patterns of commerce, conflict and cultural exchange that thrived long before European colonialism and American dominance. He will detail his view that as Asia determines its own future, it will determine ours as well. Born in India, Khanna is the international best-selling author of six books, has traveled to most of the countries of the world, and holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and master’s degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is a contributor to CNN, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and has also been an adviser to the U.S. National Intelligence Council. NOTES In association with the Asia Society of Northern California, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the McKinsey Global Institute and TiE Silicon Valley

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Singer Breanna Sinclaire on The Michelle Meow Show Feb 25, 2019

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Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week, we'll have a lively discussion with our in-studio guest, Breanna Sinclaire, who will also perform a song live. Breanna Sinclaire is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of CalArts. She received her Masters from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and she was the first transwoman of the opera program, under the pedagogy of Ms. Ruby Pleasure. Operatic performances include Carmen, La Calisto, The Old Maid and The Thief, The Magic Flute, L'enfant et les sortilèges, Platée, and West Side Story, as well as Meredith Monk’s Songs of Ascension at REDCAT, and Zachary Sharrin’s Time Bodies at MOCA. Outside of opera, Sinclaire has enjoyed a variety of performance opportunities with LGBT and other nonprofit organizations throughout the nation — most recently the Gay Men’s Choruses of Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. She made her debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus. Other performances include Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C. and Toronto Pride Festivals, SF Trans March, Fresh Meat Trans and Queer Arts Festivals, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, LinkedIn’s LGBTQ Employee Resource Group speaker series panel discussion (alongside civil rights leader Cecilia Chung), Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness book tour, and the Transgender Law Center’s SPARK! anniversary celebration. She also made her debut as a guest artist for the Gay Men's Chorus of DC in Durufle's Requiemperforming "Pie Jesu" at Church of the Epiphany. She was among Out magazine’s 2015 "OUT100" list of LGBT heroes. She was the first transwoman to perform the National Anthem at a professional sporting event for the Oakland A's, SF Giants, and San Francisco Deltas. She made her debut with SF Symphony on December 31st, 2018 as the first trans singer to perform with the orchestra.

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Increasing Housing Options for People in the Middle Feb 25, 2019

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For the average income earner, obtaining a comfortable place to live seems out of reach. Some people travel great distances to get to their jobs. Others live in a crowded household in order to afford the rent or mortgage. Building more housing seems to be the logical goal, but where and what type? Join the conversation with Kristy Wang from the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and Laura Foote from YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard), with Shelly Sutherland, a realtor at Compass, who will moderate the discussion. MLF ORGANIZER NAME John Milford NOTES MLF: Grownups

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Donor Power: The Influence of Climate Philanthropy Feb 25, 2019

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Fighting climate change isn’t cheap. Where’s the money coming from? Major philanthropic organizations like Hewlett and Bloomberg are at the forefront of addressing climate change, but could smaller funders be more in touch with grassroots needs? Are big donors out of touch – or just stretched too far? Where is the money coming from, where is it going, what are the biggest wins and what missteps are being made along the way? Greg Dalton is joined by donors big and small for a discussion on harnessing the power of the purse in the fight against climate change.

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Salvator Mundi Feb 22, 2019

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Salvator Mundi, one of under 20 paintings created by Leonardo da Vinci, was purchased for $10,000 in 2005 at an auction in New Orleans. The painting's unclear provenance and heavy overpainting hid its true value. After restoration, it sold for $75 million in 2013, and for $450 million at Christie's in 2017. As the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death approaches, join us to hear da Vinci expert Martin Kemp delve into the enduring fascination aroused by da Vinci's artistic achievements and personality. Kemp, whose recent book, Living with Leonardo, recounts his lifelong passion for the genius who has helped define our culture, will focus this lecture around Salvator Mundi (which he is currently co-writing a book about). Kemp will tell of its discovery, elucidate the issues surrounding its attribution, look at the scientific analyses that support experts’ interpretations and examine the role of connoisseurship. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond Notes, MLF: Humanities In association with the Leonardo Da Vinci Society and Humanities West

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Helping Refugees, Welcoming the Stranger Feb 21, 2019

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The Middle East member-led forum presents a distinguished panel, including: Hassan El-Masri, a Palestinian who volunteers to help refugee artists throughout the world; Karaman Mamand, a Kurdish Iraqi educator and human rights activist; Karen Ferguson, executive director of the northern California branch of the International Rescue Committee, which provides comprehensive services for refugees whose lives are shattered by conflict and disaster; and Aisha Wahab, who was recently elected to the Hayward City Council and is one of the first Afghan-American officials elected in the United States. The panel will discuss how we can help refugees and welcome the stranger in the face of war, strife, indifference and travel bans. MLF Organizer Name: Celia Menczel Notes, MLF: Middle East

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Tim Wu: Inside Tech Monopolies Feb 21, 2019

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What are the implications of a few massive firms controlling global industry? Tim Wu endeavors to answer this question by linking together big business, inequality and political extremism in his latest book, The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age. Wu argues the failure to curb excessive corporate power has led to greater tolerance of inequality and may even engender extreme populism, nationalism and fascism. Wu’s argument concludes that excessive corporate power poses a great threat to the health of American democracy, just as giant trusts did during the Gilded Age. Wu asserts that we must thus learn from the progressive policies of the past to overcome the consequences of extreme inequality today. Join us and learn from Wu as he discusses the problem of modern massive firms and what America can learn from its past. Notes: This program was generously supported by Jackson Square Partners Foundation

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Howard Schultz, Former CEO of Starbucks Feb 21, 2019

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This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. From the start of his career, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has always been an unconventional businessman. With health insurance and free college tuition for part-time baristas to controversial initiatives about race and refugees, Schultz and his team challenge old notions about the role of business in society. In his new book, From the Ground Up, Schultz tackles some of America’s most important and divisive issues. Schultz introduces a cross-section of Americans transforming common struggles into shared successes. He discusses inspirational stories about lost youth finding first jobs, post-9/11 warriors replacing lost limbs with indomitable spirit, former coal miners and opioid addicts paving fresh paths, entrepreneurs jump-starting dreams, and better angels emerging from all corners of the country. Come hear an inspiring conversation with one of America’s most successful businessmen. Bring your questions. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Content **

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Gary Snyder, Peter Goin and Dooby Lane Feb 20, 2019

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Featuring the lively art and wit of the ever popular activist Gary Snyder and Peter Goin, this program is a conversation, reading and slideshow. It will be followed by a book signing of Dooby Lane: Also Known as Guru Road, A Testament inscribed in Stone Tablets by DeWayne Williams. This their latest collaboration. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Anne W. Smith NOTES MLF: Arts

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