Intelligence Squared

Tony Blair is the man who reinvented Labour, won a landslide majority in 1997 and went on to win three elections, becoming Labour's longest-serving prime minister. He is also the man accused of lies, hubris, money-making deals and taking us into an illegal war.   This episode features a live event which Intelligence Squared hosted in London in March 2016, when we put Tony Blair on trial and examined his legacy on foreign policy, health, education and much more. Levelling charges against him was Tom Bower, investigative journalist and author of Broken Vows: Tony Blair and the Tragedy of Power. Defending him was the journalist and Times columnist David Aaronovitch. This event was originally produced by Hannah Kaye. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Alexander Nakarada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the Iraq war fuel terror and extremism around the world? What is the connection between Al-Qaeda and ISIS? How did figures like Abū Muṣʻab Zarqāwī and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi become such prominent figures in Jihadism's global civil war? On episode four of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, foreign correspondent Secunder Kermani is joined by Lina Khatib, Director of the SOAS Middle East Institute; Joby Warrick, journalist and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS; and Tam Hussein, investigative journalist and author of The Darkness Inside. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick: https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/joby-warrick The Darkness Inside by Tam Hussein: https://tinyurl.com/bddmmz7m To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Alexander Nakarada. Excerpts featured in this episode are from DW News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last twenty years, award-winning Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, has watched his nation disappear time and time again. Sectarian division, ethnic division, and military intervention have torn his native Baghdad apart - leaving him feeling like a stranger in his own city. In the third episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, host Renad Mansour sits down with Ghaith Abdul-Ahad to discuss how Iraqi citizens lost their country and the disappearing sense of ‘Watan' - a word that means the nation, the state and the homeland all in one. A Stranger in Your Own City by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad is available now: https://tinyurl.com/2k6kfhh5 To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Alexander Nakarada. Excerpts featured in this episode are from Al Jazeera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happened in Iraq once the Americans and the British arrived? Why was the transfer of power a far from smooth operation? And what else went wrong in what should have been the mission for liberation? In the second episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, host Manveen Rana, is joined again by Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House; and Clare Short, who was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003. To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Alexander Nakarada. Excerpts featured in this episode are from BBC news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exactly twenty years ago today on the 20th March 2003, the US along with its allies launched a shock and awe bombing campaign on Iraq. It marked the start of the invasion - and occupation - of Iraq - a defining moment in modern history and contemporary politics. In the first episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War brought to you by Intelligence Squared, we'll be taking a deep dive into key moments on the road to war. From understanding Saddam's rule in the 1980s and the significance of the first Gulf War, to the role of intelligence reports, domestic politics and the Special Relationship between Britain and America. Our host for this episode is investigative journalist Manveen Rana, who's joined by Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House; and Clare Short, who was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003. To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Alexander Nakarada. Excerpts featured in this episode are from CBS News and AP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, Intelligence Squared staged the ultimate clash of civilisations: Greece vs Rome. Boris Johnson, at that time Mayor of London and ardent classicist, made the case for Greece; while Mary Beard, today Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the University of Sheffield and known for her extensive career as a broadcaster and writer, championed Rome. As we revisit this archive debate held in the pre-Brexit, pre-pandemic era, it's fascinating to observe how history would soon be shaped by some of the figures on stage and whose actions are the subject of much divisive debate today. Our host for the event was the journalist and broadcaster, Andrew Marr.  We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since she was a young child, journalist Hayley Campbell has been fascinated by death. It's the theme of her new book, All the Living and the Dead: An Exploration of the People Who Make Death Their Life's Work, which has been acclaimed by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Nigella Lawson and Tuppence Middleton. In conversation with writer Blanche Girouard, Campbell relates the encounters she has had with the people who make a living by working with the dead, including mass fatality investigators, embalmers and a former executioner who is responsible for ending 62 lives. This episode contains discussion about grief and bereavement that some listeners may find distressing.  We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tend to imagine Western Civilisation as a golden thread connecting ancient Greece to modern Europe, from Plato to NATO. But what if the idea itself is deeply flawed? Historian and archaeologist Naoíse Mac Sweeney's recent book, The West: A New History of an Old Idea, argues that our understanding of the West is deeply misleading and obscures the rich diversity of our past. Drawing on the lives of characters throughout history – including a formidable Roman matriarch and an unconventional Islamic scholar – Mac Sweeney says that the dominant narrative of Western history is an invention which has been used to justify imperialism and racism, and is no longer ideologically fit for purpose today. Discussing the book with Mac Sweeney is fellow author and columnist at The Times, Edward Lucas. We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The literal translation of amateur is ‘lover of' so why is it a word so often steeped in derogatory overtones? Why, when we're asked for our hobbies, are we inclined to diminish their status in our lives? Our hobbies make us human. From pottery, to geo-guessing; orienteering to stamp collecting; it is in these small, often quiet, building blocks of life that we so often find true meaning and connection. In this episode, Kamal Ahmed is joined by the editor of Prospect Magazine, and amateur pianist Alan Rusbridger; Senior Partner at Slaughter and May and composer Steve Cooke; comedian, writer and Adult Fan of LEGO Emma Kennedy; and, ex-property developer turned golfer extraordinaire Mark Gershinson to discuss the joy of part-time pursuits and being an amateur. Join us for a conversation that seeks to reinvigorate the concept of the hobby and renew it with it's true meaning: hobbies, from the run of the mill to the absurd, are about our passions; they are about self-discovery; and about building a life that fulfils us and provides contentment. Whether you're a relentless hobbyist or have been prevaricating about booking that first violin lesson, this episode is for you: remember, it's never too late to start. For more information about Y TREE please visit https://www.y-tree.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have some really exciting news for you, we've launched a brand new podcast – Intelligence Squared Arts & Culture. Join us every week as we delve into the artistic and cultural moments, movements and conversations that have shaped, and are still shaping, our world. Over the years we've produced hundreds of Arts and Culture debates, live events, discussions and interviews, working with some of the world's greatest minds, including Kate Winslet, Salman Rushdie, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Hitchens, Bernardine Evaristo, Tom Hiddleston, Stephen Fry and many others. Search Intelligence Squared Arts & Culture, wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast was produced and edited by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney — We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. Feminism is not a monolith; often in the western world to help understand the history of feminism we refer to the model of the different waves of feminism, which sets out to define the trajectory of certain fights and milestones, such as the right to vote and access to contraception. But what does this version of history include and who does it exclude? In this discussion, Professor Lucy Delap from the University of Cambridge, and Shreeta Lakhani from SOAS University of London, discuss the societal structures around the world which have oppressed women throughout history, as well as the intersection of the state and feminism, and the need to recognise the pluralistic nature of feminism in order to achieve a better future for everyone. Our host for this conversation is broadcaster and academic Philippa Thomas — We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. On this episode we're hearing a compilation from our award-winning podcast series How I Found My Voice which explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. Our host for the series, BBC journalist Samira Ahmed, revisits conversations with writers Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak, actors Kate Winslet, Rose McGowan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, singer Paloma Faith, Labour politician and Member of Parliament Jess Phillips, businesswoman Gina Miller, and comedian Katharine Ryan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. There are seven necessary sins for women and girls, that's according to Egyptian writer and activist Mona Eltahawy. Anger, ambition, profanity, violence, attention, lust, and power, are all attributes that the patriarchy sees as vices for women, she says, but these should be harnessed as virtues. On this episode of the podcast, which was recorded in 2021, Mona was joined in conversation by physicist and broadcaster Helen Czerski to discuss how women and girls can tap into their inner fury, and rather than surviving the patriarchy, they can dismantle it. — We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. "My pen is the wing of a bird; it will tell you those thoughts we are not allowed to think, those dreams we are not allowed to dream." On this episode we hearing about, and from, the Afghan women who are telling their own stories, in their own words. In 2022, when this conversation was recorded, the first anthology of fiction written by Afghan women was published in English by UNTOLD, a writer development programme for marginalised writers in areas of conflict and post-conflict. In this episode we hear from three women from the UNTOLD writers programme - Lucy Hannah, founder of UNTOLD; Zarghuna Kargaar journalist, translator, and author; and Marie Bamyani, contributing author to the anthology. Hosting this discussion is Halima Kazem, Afghanistan Oral Histories Project Manager at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and the Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Santa Cruz.  — We'd love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we've got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go. It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. Equality is no longer enough, women need equity - that's the message of former US 5000m champion, Lauren Fleshman who joins us on this episode of the podcast to speak about the vital need for the world of sport to be reimagined for women. In conversation with host Sophie Penney, sports journalist for Reuters and The Athletic, Lauren looks back at her own career to examine the damaging mental and physical effects of young women being trained in line with the physiological development of a male body, the financial realities of being a professional female athlete, and what it means to be a successful athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. Change is never easy, it requires putting up a fight, going against the status quo, and if you're a woman - this may require you to be difficult. In 2020 Helen Lewis, staff writer for The Atlantic, joined us on stage to discuss the lives of some of history's complicated and contradictory fighters for female freedom, and their refusal to conform to societal expectations. Helen was joined by Caroline Criado Perez, journalist and author of Invisible Women, which is now also a podcast. And the conversation was chaired by broadcaster Samira Ahmed who had just won the employment tribunal she brought against the BBC in a dispute over equal pay. Together they examine why women who challenge the status quo are often seen as threatening or intimidating and why the fight for change is far from perfect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International Women's Week on Intelligence Squared. On this episode we hear from some of the women who helped sparked the 2017 MeToo movement. Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey are the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalists who first broke the story of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct with dozens of Hollywood's most elite actresses. The journalists were joined on stage by three women who had previously worked with Weinstein and broke their long-buried, and legally bound, silence over his sexual abuse allegations; Rowena Chiu - Former assistant to Harvey Weinstein; Laura Madden - Former production executive at Harvey Weinstein's Miramax Films London; and Zelda Perkins - Former assistant to Harvey Weinstein and a campaigner against non-disclosure agreements. In this conversation they recount their work to publish a story which had been silenced for decades and how this sparked a movement for societal change. Our host for this conversation was Carrie Gracie, Former BBC China Editor and author of Equal: A Story of Women, Men and Money. This recording took place in central London in 2019 as part of the series “Intelligent Times” – a partnership between Intelligence Squared and The New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the Sunday Debate this week, a dip back into the archive to 2019 when we partnered with Waitrose to invite three of the UK's top wine experts to settle a rivalry for the ages: the so-called Old World vs New World. Which region makes the best wine? Representing the Old World – wine producers such as France, Italy, Spain and Germany – was the award-winning writer and broadcaster Jancis Robinson, wine columnist for the Financial Times and a qualified Master of Wine. Fighting for the modernising spirit of the New World – that's regions such as California, Australia, South Africa and Chile – was Oz Clarke, presenter, author and a winner of British Wine Taster of the Year. Our host for the debate was Amelia Singer, wine writer, broadcaster and founder of Amelia's Wine.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How has Western culture depicted powerful women down the ages? To what extent have they been packaged into a male template? And how much have they been able to control their own image? Featuring classicist Mary Beard and Sotheby's specialist Holly Braine, and chaired by cultural critic Shahidha Bari, the conversation will range from sculptures of ancient goddesses such as Aphrodite and Athena, to portraits of Queen Elizabeth I as ‘Gloriana', to the empowered politicians and cultural icons of today. This conversation was produced in partnership with Sotheby's for Sotheby's Talks: (Women) Artists. To view the accompanying images for this conversation please visit: https://intelligencesquared.com/sothebys-women-artists-women-in-power/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Bernie Sanders is seen by many as the leader of the progressive movement in the United States. On this episode of the podcast, recorded in central London, he spoke to BBC broadcaster Justin Webb about corporate greed, identity politics and the direction of America today. Sanders' new book It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism is available now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have some really exciting news for you, we're launching a brand new podcast – Intelligence Squared Arts & Culture. Join us every week as we delve into the artistic and cultural moments, movements and conversations that have shaped, and are still shaping, our world. Over the years we've produced hundreds of Arts and Culture debates, live events, discussions and interviews, working with some of the world's greatest minds, including Kate Winslet, Salmon Rushdie, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Hitchens, Bernardine Evaristo, Tom Hiddleston, Stephen Fry and many others. Search Intelligence Squared Arts & Culture, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Tania Branigan has spent years covering China and is Foreign Leader writer for the Guardian. Her new book, Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution, explores the traumatic legacy of the era helmed by China's Chairman Mao throughout the 1960s and 1970s, which left a devastating mark on the psyche of future generations. Joining Branigan in conversation is journalist, author and former China Editor for BBC News, Carrie Gracie. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the war in Ukraine reaches its one year anniversary, there is still no clear end in sight. And while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipates Russia's spring offensive, he's been clear in asking the West for one thing - fighter jets. On this episode of the podcast defence expert Rajan Menon and policy expert Anatol Lieven discuss how crucial jets could be for Ukraine's defence, what the western countries' national interest is in giving them, and whether support for Ukraine in this war could wane as time goes on. Our host for this episode is The Sunday Times Special Correspondent, Josh Glancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the podcast we look back on one year of Russia's war in Ukraine by revisiting 10 Intelligence Squared conversations over the past 12 months with historians, politicians, journalists, military, security, and defence experts. From questioning the effectiveness of economic sanctions and the likelihood of nuclear weapon use, to analysing the rise of Vladimir Putin in modern Russia, join us on this retrospective Intelligence Squared episode with producers Hannah Kaye, Conor Boyle, and Catharine Hughes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emmanuel Iduma is a Nigerian author and critic whose new book, I Am Still With You, explores the legacy of the Nigerian Civil War, which began in 1967 and lasted nearly three years. In the book, Iduma asks questions about how the conflict has affected the generations since, many of whom have had to live with difficult questions hanging over their family histories. Joining Iduma in conversation is our host, Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not A Country and Senior Editor for Vice.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing accomplishment but one that remains poorly understood. On this episode of the podcast we were joined by Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, and Morten H. Christiansen, Professor of Psychology at Cornell University. Together in their latest book "The Language Game," they upend our traditional understanding of language, arguing that it's not based on a set of fixed rules, but on a constantly evolving series of flexible conventions. Our host for this episode was journalist Christine Ro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does God exist? In this archive debate from 2009, we invited a panel of expert speakers to discuss whether atheism had replaced religion as the new faith of the secular age. Are atheists as blinkered and dogmatic as they claim religious believers to be? Arguing for the motion were former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries and former Editor of the Daily Telegraph Charles Moore. Arguing against the motion were evolutionary biologist and science author Richard Dawkins and philosopher AC Grayling. The debate was chaired by historian, author and commentator Anthony Seldon. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins us on the podcast to tell the story of an unlikely criminal mastermind, Sister Ping - a middle-aged, hardworking woman who is highly respected among her community. Originally from Fujian province, China, for years she runs an incredibly lucrative people smuggling business from New York's Chinatown until she comes into trouble with violent gangsters and then later the FBI. In conversation with our host Poppy Damon, they discuss immigration, the dark underbelly of the American Dream, and the questions of who gets to stay. They also speak about Patrick's involvement in the Oscar-nominated documentary starring Nan Goldin and directed by Laura Poitras, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been 25 years since the release of James Cameron's cult classic, Titanic. The epic movie, which early fans will remember came out on VHS in two parts because it was so long, is now being rereleased in cinemas. But more importantly, James Cameron has finally admitted that Jack might have survived had he been allowed on the now infamous door, and if he were to make this film again today the raft would be a lot smaller. On this episode we hear an interview from our series How I Found My Voice with Kate Winslet. In conversation with journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, they discuss the great raft debate and the Academy Award winning actress' even greater career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intelligence Squared and Harewood House partner for this live podcast exploring the power of portraiture in representing Britain's complex history. The expert panel includes artist Thomas J Price, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Nicholas Cullinan, and Contributing Editor at Novara Media, Moya Lothian-McLean. Joining our speakers are the Earl of Harewood David Lascelles and our host, writer and presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied. The event coincides with the recent launch of Missing Portraits, a new series commissioned by David and Diane Lascelles to be part of the permanent collection at Harewood House, that depicts people of Afro-Caribbean heritage with a connection to Harewood – the inaugural portrait being of Arthur France, founder of the Leeds West Indian Carnival. The series is part of an effort to better reflect the history of Harewood, which was built on the vast fortune made by Henry Lascelles through the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Harewood acknowledges the troubled roots of its wealth and seeks to address the historic lack of diversity within its vast art collection. This situation is not unique to Harewood, which since 1986 has been an educational charity. Whether it's in the school curriculum or the collections of museums and galleries, the diversity and complexity of Britain's colonial history is not fully reflected in our understanding of the past. Find out more at https://harewood.org/ ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an issue that only gets more contentious with time - is porn good for us? To debate this issue in 2013, host Viv Groskop was joined by Germaine Greer, Dr Robert Lefever, Anna Arrowsmith, and Dr Clarissa Smith. But how has our cultural outlook swayed and shifted over the past decade? Have conversations about sexual liberation or concerns over children's access and early exposure to pornographic content moved us beyond the panellists arguments in 2013? Or are we still just as confused as a society. Listen now to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles, 1981. A group of beautiful, rich, high school students are playing adult in their absentee parents' empty mansions, fueled by lust and prescription drugs, and filled with fear and disaffection. This is the world of The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis' first novel in 13 years, part auto-fiction, part horror. The provocative and polarising author joins Alex Preston, award-winning author and journalist, to speak about the emptiness of adolescence, the lawlessness of the 80s, and how it feels to look back at it all aged 56 in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When world-renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in Britain in the 1980s he recoiled in horror at how dull and dreary British food was at that time. But it was not just the food that caused him to despair: it was mainstream economic thinking too. Neoclassical liberalism was, and still is, the only item he found on Britain's menu of economic ideas. Rethinking that menu is the theme of his new book, Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World. Through a series of culinary anecdotes Chang explains that just as a rich and varied diet nourishes the body, moving beyond the narrow confines of neoclassical economics can help to build a better and fairer world. Speaking with Chang for this episode is Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment at Interactive Investor. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On 27 January 2023, broadcaster Mahmoud Al-Mossallami hosted BBC Arabic radio's final transmission after 85 years on air. It's the latest strategy shift for BBC World Service, which launched in 1932 as the BBC Empire Service. Over the years its radio content has transformed in order to meet historical challenges, cater to growing audiences and adapt under financial constraints. But with a listenership of millions across multiple nations, is something larger and more important than just a radio service being lost with the shuttering of BBC Arabic radio? To discuss the history and future of Britain's soft power as a broadcasting powerhouse, former BBC producer and Intelligence Squared's Head of Podcasts, Farah Jassat, is joined by Emma Robertson, historian and co-author of BBC World Service: Overseas Broadcasting, 1932–2018, and Hosam El Sokkari, former Head of BBC Arabic. Plus, BBC World Service anchor Mahmoud Al-Mossallami himself reflects on his long career and that final broadcast. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marked the three year anniversary of Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we're revisiting what some would call a simpler time, pre-Brexit Britain. In May 2016, a month before the referendum, Intelligence Squared staged The Great Brexit Debate. Our chair for the debate was Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist, author and broadcaster, and he was joined by a panel of six influential voices including Nick Clegg and Gisela Stuart. Now we're on the other side of this once in a generation vote, were the predictions correct? Did the fears or hopes come into fruition?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to journalist, satirist, and editor of the magazine Private Eye, Ian Hislop. They speak about his life and career, from an upbringing in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong before returning to Britain to attend boarding school where he began his satirical career. Ian Hislop became editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye at just 25, in his 37 years as editor he has been reported as the most sued man in English legal history. This episode was recorded in April 2021 when Boris Johnson was still the prime minister of the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1993 and 1997 Natasha Lance Rogoff, award-winning television producer and filmmaker, was the executive producer of Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street. She joins us on Intelligence Squared to tell the extraordinary story of her determination to bring entertainment and democratic values to Russian children amid a backdrop of bombings, assassinations and a military pressure. Drawing on her new book, Muppets in Moscow, she shares her unique perspective of Russia's people, their culture and their complicated relationship with the West. Hosting this discussion is Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank, Demos. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Galeotti is one of the world's leading experts on modern Russia. His new book, Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, details how Vladimir Putin and his conflicts have shaped Russia in the 21st century. In conversation with the New Statesman's Katie Stallard, Galeotti shows how Putin has used warfare through incursions into Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, to influence both Russia's domestic politics and the geopolitics that play out on the world stage.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this archive debate from 2019, we invited a panel of top speakers to discuss the motion: The West Should Pay Reparations For Slavery. Should there be a broad programme of reparations – not just financial compensation, but acknowledgement of the crimes committed and the lasting damage caused by slavery? Or would this just worsen social tensions by reopening old wounds? Arguing for the motion were Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University; and Esther Stanford-Xosei, reparations activist and lawyer. Arguing against the motion were Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in London; and Tony Sewell, educational consultant and CEO of the charity Generating Genius. The debate was chaired by social historian, author and academic, Emma Dabiri. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are eggs now a luxury item? For the past year an economic crisis has been brewing in Egypt, only to be dramatically exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. And now while inflation reaches new heights, the Egyptian pound has reached an all-time low. Everyday life is becoming tougher and tougher for Egyptians but will the IMF continue to offer lifelines? Can President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi can find a solution? And is another revolution on the horizon for Cairo? To discuss these issues, Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist and Vivian Yee, Cairo Bureau Chief for the New York Times, join our host for this episode, international reporter Lama Khayer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the current cost of living crisis it has never been more important to understand the financial world and take control of your money. For over 40 years, Paul Lewis has been arming the public with everything they need to know about personal finances on his BBC Radio 4 programme Money Box. In this discussion for Intelligence Squared, he answers your questions and discusses the tools you need to balance your budget, stop wasting money and make better use of the finances you have. He also explores how to beat the banks at their own game, and treat the finance industry not as a friend, but more like a vague acquaintance you don't really trust, but have to see from time to time (and who always makes you pay for the drinks). Our host for this episode is Felicia Odamtten, Founder and Director of The Black Economists Network. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juicing, biohacking, mindfulness apps, collagen supplements: the wellness industry has exploded into a $4.4 trillion movement. Wellness industry journalist Rina Raphael says that the self-care movement has taken sound ideas about nutrition and fitness and packaged them up into exploitative offerings with questionable claims. Drawing on her new book, The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care, Raphael discusses how women in particular are targeted and pressured into a cycle of sacrifice and performance, encouraged to purge their bodies of excess fat, rid their minds of negative thoughts and cleanse their organs of 'toxins' – in order to maintain an illusion of control. In conversation with journalist Nelufar Hedayat, Raphael shows us how we can find evidence-based, personalised solutions to our problems and get ourselves onto the path of genuine wellbeing.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the world ushered in a new year on the 31st of December 2022, it also said goodbye to possibly its most well-known religious leader, Pope Benedict XVI. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger's uncompromising conservative views earned him the nickname "God's Rottweiler". As Pope, his work was often perceived as a continuation of the conservative agenda of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we're discussing the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, asking whether his most radical act was retiring in 2013, and how his influence was received by the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. To discuss these issues, our host Philippa Thomas is joined by Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Theology at Villanova University Pennsylvania, and Mathew Walther, writer and editor of Catholic literary journal, The Lamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Observed from afar, Russia's invasion of Ukraine might appear to be a replay of the Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West. But according to political scientist Ivan Krastev a closer look complicates the picture. In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times Krastev argued that while America's allies in Europe came together in support of Ukraine, other states, especially Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia have offered a different response. Turkey's role in the Russia-Ukraine war is a classic example of middle power activism. President Tayyip Erdoğan has downplayed the country's identity as a NATO member at the same time as he has positioned his country as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. India has used the war to capitalise on Western sanctions and import cheap Russian gas. And the Saudis have cosied up to Beijing and Moscow as a reminder to the United States that the US/Saudi security alliance is not unconditional. Middle powers have different goals and agendas but they all share one fundamental feature: they are determined to sit at the table of global politics and have a say in shaping their own regions. On this episode, Krastev, with journalist and academic Philippa Thomas, explores the rising activism of middle powers and how it is reshaping the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the conversation on race need a reset? That is the question that Coleman Hughes and Kenan Malik explored when they came to Intelligence Squared in January 2022. Hughes is an acclaimed American writer and host of the award-winning podcast Conversations with Coleman. In 2019 at the age of 23 he testified before Congress against reparations for slavery and has roundly criticised the work of other Black writers on race such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. In his view, their brand of anti-racism encourages a sense of victimhood among Black Americans and sows division between different racial groups. Malik is a British author and broadcaster, whose new book Not So Black and White explores the history of the idea of race and invites us to challenge many of the assumptions behind today's culture wars.  If you would like to support Coleman Hughes and his work, you can do so at colemanhughes.org.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does the world appear different when we're in love? How can one colour make us feel anger and another calm? Why do sounds like chewing and yawning cause emotional distress for some people? Aristotle said that there were five senses but scientific research suggests that there could be many more than that, with some studies claiming that there are up to 52. On this episode we're joined by Ashley Ward, Professor in Animal Behaviour at the University of Sydney. In discussion with zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke, he explores some of the fascinating findings in his brand new book, Sensational: A New Story of Our Senses, and the mechanisms at the heart of how we navigate the world. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of Intelligence Squared, we hear from our podcast dedicated to exploring the possibilities of what lies ahead: The Futureverse.  What if the solution to solving extreme poverty was as simple as giving cash to those who need it?  GiveDirectly, the fastest growing NGO founded this century, does just that. By allowing donors to send money directly to the world's poorest, it has revolutionised the aid sector. In the last decade, GiveDirectly has delivered $580M+ to over 1.37 million people across eleven countries. Cash in hand, no strings attached.  In this episode, Kamal Ahmed is joined by the President of GiveDirectly Rory Stewart to discuss GiveDirectly's work, the profound implications of direct cash transfers and why we all have a duty to do what we can to uplift the global poor. Rory's career, which has taken him from Iraq, where he was Deputy-Governor of two provinces following the invasion in 2003, to the UK Government, where he served as Secretary of State for International Development, has shaped his approach to his own legacy, and what it means to be a good ancestor. Kamal and Rory discuss this and more in this wide-ranging interview with one of the most knowledgeable and compelling voices on international development and the charity sector.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new memoir, Spare, Prince Harry has opened a Pandora's box of revelations on the carefully managed public image of the world's most famous yet guarded family. The book reflects on his difficult relationship with senior royals, as well as sharing candid stories about his early life, the number of fighters the Prince killed while serving as a soldier in the army, and his interactions with the UK press. Could this be a historic turning point for the British monarchy? Rosamund Urwin, media editor for The Sunday Times, is joined to discuss it by author and filmmaker Robert Hardman, who has covered aspects of royal life for more than 20 years and who writes for the Daily Mail; his latest book is Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, and David Aaronovitch, columnist for The Times. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia's war on Ukraine, Liz Truss's mini budget and soaring inflation have all hammered the UK in recent months. But as the country begins a new year with a new Prime Minister – how much drama and uncertainty should we expect in 2023? In this episode we bring together an expert panel to debate and discuss the big questions facing the British economy. Will inflation be brought under control? Can the country cope without closer ties to the EU? And how prepared is Europe for more geopolitical tension with Russia and China? Our chair Manveen Rana is joined by Jonathan Portes, economist and Professor of Economics and Public Policy at King's College, London; Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment at Interactive Investor, and Gerard Lyons, Chief Economic Strategist at the wealth manager Netwealth. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We've just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we'd love you to give it a go.  It's packed with more than 20 years' worth of video debates and conversations on the world's hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the richest people in the world have decided against bequeathing their fortunes to their children; from Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, to Daniel Craig and Michael Sheen. The proponents of this view offer many arguments, including the idea that inheriting huge wealth can detrimentally impact children, distorting anything they might do with their life. They also argue that the wealthy are morally obliged to give most, or all, of their wealth away to effective causes – children, or no children.  Nonetheless, historically, the vast majority of parents have decided to hand down their wealth to their children, believing it will help rather than harm them.  In this episode, three leading thinkers come together to debate the motion ‘The kindest thing a parent can do for their child is to leave them nothing.' Utilitarian philosopher Professor Peter Singer champions the moral imperative for the wealthy to give to the global poor; Julia Davies, a member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, advocates for a wealth tax, arguing that it should not be down to the rich to decide whether – and how – to give their wealth away; and author and academic Adrian Wooldridge argues that wealthy individuals are a net positive for society. Expertly moderated by journalist and broadcaster Kamal Ahmed, this conversation is a thought-provoking insight into one of the biggest decisions any parent has to make.  The Futureverse is brought to you by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Y TREE. The past is in your head. The future is in your hands. For more information visit y-tree.com/futureverse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices