Intelligence Squared Intelligence Squared

On January 20 Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. But as the storming of the Capitol on January 6 by supporters of Donald Trump showed, those 50 states are far from united.


Biden inherits a battered country that needs putting back together. Its political tribes need to find common cause. Its people need vaccines. Its economy needs triage. Sure, Biden beat Donald Trump by more than six million votes. But more people voted for Trump in November than they did four years ago. No Republican candidate in history has received as many votes as Trump did. Even Biden’s own party is not united – progressives are lining up against centrists.


Is the 78-year-old Biden up to the job? Can he make Trump’s furious and alienated supporters feel that he is their president too? Can he match Trump’s success in boosting the economy at the same time as reversing Trump’s deregulation? Can he help end racial injustice? And while he faces all of these challenges, how will he cope with the threat of a Trump re-election bid in 2024?

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For more than six decades, Fidel Castro's words have echoed through the politics of Latin America. His towering political influence still looms over the region today.


The swing to the Left in Latin America, known as the 'Pink Tide', was the most important political movement in the Western Hemisphere in the 21st century. Yet today, this wave of populism has left the Americas in the hands of some of the most authoritarian and dangerous leaders since the military dictatorships of the 1970s. In this week's episode BBC correspondent Will Grant speaks to Mark Mardell about his new book Populista and how strongmen have shaped the region. To buy the book click here: https://amzn.to/3qqT5ke

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For today's episode we have something a little different for you. We wanted to introduce you to a new podcast we think you’ll love called Power: The Maxwells.


Everyone’s heard of Ghislaine Maxwell (Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged partner in crime). But there’s a shadowy figure who hangs above her who you likely don’t know: her father, media tycoon Robert Maxwell. His rise from nothing to fall… from the deck of his super yacht under mysterious circumstances is straight out of a crime novel. His favorite daughter Ghislaine’s theory: her father was murdered. From Somethin’ Else, makers of ‘The Immaculate Deception’ and ‘Faultline: Bush, Blair & Iraq’, hosted by Investigative journalist Tara Palmeri, ‘Power: The Maxwells’ is a seven part series on the incredible true story of a media mogul whose legacy is still being felt today.


Power: The Maxwells is available on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Studying the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors and scientists, David Epstein demonstrates why in most fields – especially those that are complex and unpredictable – generalists, not specialists are primed to excel. No matter what you do, where you are in life, whether you are a teacher, student, scientist, business analyst, parent, job hunter, retiree, you will see the world differently. You'll understand better how we solve problems, how we learn and how we succeed. You'll see why failing a test is the best way to learn and why frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The podcast was hosted by Linda Yueh.


To subscribe to Intelligence Squared Business click here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/intelligence-squared-business/id1542365818


To find out more about David's book click here: https://amzn.to/38k0NF4

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2021 is already set to be a monumental year. On January 1 Britain finally Brexited with a deal. On January 20 Joe Biden will become President of the United States. And as we move towards the summer months more and more of us will be vaccinated against COVID-19.


What will these seismic events mean for the future of Britain and America? As the pandemic eases, will we see fairer more unified nations? Or will our economic and cultural divides open up and become even more pronounced?


To discuss and debate these questions, Will Davies and Matthew Goodwin, two of Britain’s most popular political thinkers – one left-leaning, the other right-of-centre – joined us in January 2021. The event was hosted by journalist and author Jenny Kleeman. 


To find out more about the speakers books see below: 


Will Davies, This is Not Normal: https://bit.ly/2XkWUuL
Matthew Goodwin, National Populism: https://bit.ly/3pXLskQ
Jenny Kleeman, Sex Robots and Vegan Meat: https://bit.ly/3q1C5AA

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This episode was recorded in September 2020.


'The undercover economist' and Numbers and economics guru Tim Harford takes a deep dive into the world of statistics. Drawing on the ideas in his new book, How to Make the World Add Up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers, Harford takes us on a journey through art forgery, fake news, big data and dangerous political narratives, relaying the stories behind our understanding of what numbers mean, and showing why using them properly can give us unparalleled insight into every area of life.


Harford was joined by David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, who has been described by Harford on his Radio 4 show More or Less as a ‘statistical national treasure’. 


Chairing the event was the mathematician Hannah Fry, whose acclaimed television and radio documentaries have brought the world of maths, data and algorithms to a wide public audience.


To buy the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-make-the-world-add-up/tim-harford/9781408712245

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