Open to Debate

Latest Episodes:

#148 - Should Net Neutrality Be Saved? Apr 27, 2018

Show notes

Motion: Preserve Net Neutrality: All Data is Created Equal.

What if a single policy could impact American democracy, culture, and competitiveness? What if that policy might either empower citizens and consumers, or burden them? And what if the decision on that policy sparked a frenzy of legislative proposals, judicial challenges, and citizen outrage, all across the country?

The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to end net neutrality regulations has fueled a national debate about the future of the internet. Adopted in 2015, net neutrality promised to preserve the democratic spirit of the web by ensuring that all data would be treated equally, regardless of where it originated. Under these regulations, internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, the corporate giants who deliver the internet into our homes, could supply web infrastructure, but could not preference how data passed through it. Denying them that power, supporters argue, remains critical to ensuring that users and content-creators can discover ideas and information without censorship, or charges, from these prospective gatekeepers. After all, no person should have to pay for every video streamed on YouTube; no startup should be hobbled against established companies who buy faster access to consumers; and no minority voice should have its ideas throttled by wealthier interests.

On the other hand, net neutrality opponents argue that the genius of the Internet has been its individually driven, organic development, free from the heavy hand of so-called net neutrality. These burdensome regulations constitute dangerous governmental overreach, stifle innovation, and spike costs for both consumers and providers. The result, they maintain, will be a less interesting, less democratic, less innovative web. Moreover, Americans will enjoy uninterrupted access to their favorite sites – without net neutrality – because ISPs make more money from an open, rather than closed, internet. Consequently, the backlash against the FCC’s decision is overblown, and ending net neutrality is the right policy for the future of America’s internet.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#147 - As We Evolve, Do We Need God Less? Apr 06, 2018

Show notes

Motion: The More We Evolve The Less We Need God.

Does God have a place in 21st century human affairs? Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, and cognitive neuroscientist Heather Berlin team up to argue for the motion, "The More We Evolve, The Less We Need God." On the other side is integrative medicine advocate Dr. Deepak Chopra and ER physician Dr. Anoop Kumar.

To buy tickets to our live show in Chicago on April 17th, visit IQ2US.org.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#146 - Does Humanitarian Intervention Do More Harm Than Good? Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

Motion: Humanitarian Intervention Does More Harm than Good.

The international community currently faces a global refugee crisis and mass atrocities in Iraq, Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, and beyond. How should the West respond? Proponents of humanitarian intervention – the use of force to halt human rights abuses – argue that the world’s most powerful militaries have a responsibility to protect innocent civilians around the world. Beyond saving lives, they argue, intervention deters would-be abusers and ensures global stability, thereby strengthening the liberal world order. But opponents argue that military intervention is thinly veiled Western imperialism, and subsequently, an assault on state sovereignty. And, it’s ineffective: the West, with its military might, increases the death toll and worsens the conflicts it sets out to solve. Further, given recent waves of populism in the U.S., France, and U.K., they suggest that Western nations should spend their time looking inward rather than policing activity around the world. This debate is presented in partnership with The German Marshall Fund's Brussels Forum, broadcast live from Brussels, Belgium.

The More We Evolve, The Less We Need God: http://smarturl.it/ReligionDebateTix

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#145 - Have Dating Apps Killed Romance? Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

Motion: Swipe Left: Dating Apps Have Killed Romance

Every day millions of people turn to dating apps to find love. To date, more than 49 million Americans have given digital dating a try and the companies facilitating these matches are raking in billions. But are dating apps really designed to promote long-lasting romance? Apps like Tinder and Bumble make finding a date as easy as swiping right, while digital platforms like Match.com and OkCupid use specialized algorithms to help users find the perfect partner, regardless of age or personal preferences. Further, a range of niche sites connect people with highly specific interests, whether it’s single parenthood, a gluten-free lifestyle, or a devotion to Ayn Rand. But some argue that online dating is rife with sexism, racism, and misogyny, and that dating apps ultimately create a culture that prioritizes sex over committed and lasting love. After all, why settle on one match when there may be someone better just a swipe away?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#144 - Unresolved: America's Economic Outlook Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

The Three Motions: Is deregulation driving the booming economy? Can the Republican tax bill spur economic growth? And is the stock market too high?

By most accounts, the American economy is booming — manufacturing is at a 13-year high, unemployment is at a 16-year low, and both the stock market and consumer confidence are soaring. But just what is driving this upturn? And can Americans trust that current economic conditions will hold up in the months ahead? In our season premiere, five esteemed economic thinkers debate the state of the American economy, from tax cuts to trade policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#143 - Do Liberals Hold the Moral High Ground? Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

Motion: Liberals hold the moral high ground.

Do conservative or liberal philosophies lead to more just outcomes? Opposing moral philosophies have long fueled debate about America’s policy goals and national identity. For conservatives, morality is grounded in ideals such as patriotism, including a respect for order and authority; fairness and liberty in the sense that an individual’s actions yield just rewards, or consequences; and reverence for the sanctity of religious and moral tradition. Liberals place moral emphasis on caring: for the poor, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized; on fairness in the sense of redressing both historic wrongs and current inequalities of outcome; and on generosity extending beyond the bounds of nations or cultures. In today’s divisive political arena, which side best embodies the nation’s most cherished virtues? Morally speaking, is the left right?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guns, Bibles, & Breaking Bread: A Thanksgiving Podcast Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

John Donvan sits down with Ken Stern, the former CEO of NPR, to discuss America's partisan politics and how to talk across the aisle -- and your Thanksgiving table.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#142 - Should College Athletes Be Paid? Nov 01, 2017

Show notes

Motion: Pay College Athletes

College sports is a big-money business, with football and basketball programs generating millions of dollars in revenue every year. While coaches and athletic directors in Division I programs routinely score seven-figure contracts, student-athletes are currently prohibited from sharing in the profits. Is it time to rewrite the rules in college sports and allow athletes their fair share of the profits? Or would providing monetary incentives -- above and beyond existing scholarships and career supports -- spoil the sport?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#141 - Is Western Democracy In Danger? Oct 11, 2017

Show notes

Motion: Western Democracy is Threatening Suicide

Do populist and nationalist uprisings signal Western democracy’s certain decline? Or can recent events be seen as part of a healthy and regenerative antidote to policies that have challenged liberal institutions and marginalized the middle class? Some predict that a resilient liberal world order will rally to triumph over fear, xenophobia and fractured political parties – others say that support for autocratic alternatives is on the rise. Four leading thinkers debate the future of Western democracy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#140 - Is the U.S. Healthcare System Terminally Broken? Oct 04, 2017

Show notes

MOTION: The U.S. Healthcare System is Terminally Broken

Criticized by patients, providers, and politicians alike, the United States healthcare system is hardly a crowd-pleaser. Is the most expensive health care system in the world beyond repair?

FOR

Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group

Shannon Brownless, author of Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine is Making Us Sicker and Poorer

AGAINST

Dr. Ezekiel Amanuel, a bioethicist and an architect of the Affordable Care Act

Dr. David T. Feinberg, CEO of Geisinger Health System

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices