America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Weekly debates on @NPR, @SubstackInc, @YouTube, @Spotify, @ApplePodcasts. Formerly IQ2US.
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Joined August 2010
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Should there be age limits for Congress?
The Constitution sets a minimum age to serve in Congress but no maximum, and its oldest member, Sen. Chuck Grassley, is 93. Supporters say an age cutoff would keep Congress fit to serve and open the door to new members, while critics argue age alone can't tell you who is able to do the job.
Arguing Yes: @KornbergMaya, Senior Research Fellow at @BrennanCenter and author of "Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress"
Arguing No: @sjayolshansky, Emeritus Professor of Public Health at @uicpublichealth
@JohnDonvan moderates.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=PWbMgv2b…
Do Flock cameras only track license plates?
@bennjordan, who says he has hacked into Flock cameras, argues they can track people, not just plates, and that some are pointed at playgrounds.
@fatehinorfolk counters that whether a camera makes you feel safe or watched depends on who is using it and how, just as a gun means something different on a police officer than on a bank robber.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Do Flock cameras violate the Fourth Amendment?
@bennjordan argues police will always want tools that make their job easier, and the Fourth Amendment exists to balance the government's power against the citizen's.
@fatehinorfolk counters that every appeals court to rule on Flock has found it is not a search or a seizure, and that it doesn't reach the level of tracking the Supreme Court has said could cross the line.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Open to Debate retweeted
tuesday live in Baltimore: is AI good for college education?
(youtube and NPR versions to follow for those who can’t see it live)
Our full lineup is here! We’re back in Baltimore on October 27 to debate: Will Generative AI Enhance or Stunt College Learning?
Arguing “Enhance”: Rumman Chowdhury and @RaviPendse
Arguing “Stunt”: @mathbabedotorg and @GaryMarcus
Join all four debaters and Moderator-in-Chief @JohnDonvan, as they explore what generative AI means for the future of higher education.
Reserve your FREE tickets here: bit.ly/3U28sE2
Presented by @SNFAgora and @OpentoDebateOrg
New Episode on Friday 10/30: Age Limits for Congress?
Which side do you think will make the stronger case?
@KornbergMaya of @brennancenter (YES) debates @sjayolshansky of @uicpublichealth (NO).
75%Yes
0%No
25%Undecided
4 votes • Final results Open to Debate retweeted
This is a great podcast in general.
It's really useful to hear information-heavy debates in an objective and respectful format.
Should cities pull the plug on Flock cameras?
More than 7,000 police departments have signed on to Flock's license plate cameras in just a few years, and last month, a Senate subcommittee held a hearing on the privacy and security risks.
Supporters say the cameras are one of the most effective tools police have for solving violent crime, and that they only photograph cars on public roads. Critics say they track everyone's movements without a warrant, turn every driver into a suspect, and have little evidence showing they reduce crime.
Arguing Yes: Benn Jordan (@bennjordan), YouTube Educator and Activist
Arguing No: Ramin Fatehi (@fatehinorfolk), Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia
@JohnDonvan moderates.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Does officer abuse justify banning Flock?
@fatehinorfolk argues that no one seriously proposes taking guns or cars from police even though both cost lives, so officers who break the law should be punished while tools, like Flock, stay.
@bennjordan counters that abuse is more common than police leadership admit and that short-staffed departments have little reason to report it.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Is it legal for police to track everywhere you drive?
@bennjordan compares @flocksafety to police following an innocent person's car for a month and logging every stop in a database that police nationwide can search, which would amount to stalking.
@fatehinorfolk counters that he wouldn't like it either, but the Supreme Court allows police to observe anyone in public, so it doesn't violate the Fourth Amendment.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Should cities pull the plug on Flock cameras?
More than 7,000 police departments have signed on to Flock's license plate cameras in just a few years, and last month, a Senate subcommittee held a hearing on the privacy and security risks.
Supporters say the cameras are one of the most effective tools police have for solving violent crime, and that they only photograph cars on public roads. Critics say they track everyone's movements without a warrant, turn every driver into a suspect, and have little evidence showing they reduce crime.
Arguing Yes: Benn Jordan (@bennjordan), YouTube Educator and Activist
Arguing No: Ramin Fatehi (@fatehinorfolk), Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia
@JohnDonvan moderates.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=X0iJIj5N…
Open to Debate won two Silver Signal Awards!
Our show took Silver for Best Podcast: Thought Leadership, and "Generational Divides with Nick Gillespie: Who's Winning the Wealth Game?" took Silver for Best Conversation Starter.
Thank you to Nick (@nickgillespie), Joe Nocera, Stacey Vanek Smith (@svaneksmith) and Kyla Scanlon (@kylascan) for a debate across three generations that clearly struck a chord.
Thank you to everyone who voted and to @SignalAwards for the recognition. Most of all, thank you to our audience. Every week you show up to hear the other side, test your own views and sometimes change your mind. That's what this show is built for, and we couldn't do it without you.
🚨 New Episode on Fri 10/23: Should Cities Pull the Plug on Flock Cameras? YouTube Educator @bennjordan (YES) debates Attorney @fatehinorfolk (NO)
🗳️ Which side do you predict will make the stronger case?
90%Yes
6%No
3%Undecided
31 votes • Final resultsShould extinct animals stay extinct?
A biotech company says it has already brought back the dire wolf, and the woolly mammoth is next on its list. Supporters say reviving lost species could restore ecosystems and help save endangered animals. Critics say it's a costly distraction that plays creator with nature and could do more harm than good.
Arguing Yes:
Dr. Ross MacPhee, Curator of the Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, @AMNH
Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild, Evolutionary Biologist and Astrobiologist
Arguing No:
@stewartbrand, Co-Founder of @Revive_Restore and Founder of Whole Earth Catalog
@geochurch, Professor of Genetics at @harvardmed and @MIT and Founder of @PGorg
@JohnDonvan moderates.
Watch the full debate: bit.ly/4ssNM53
Our full lineup is here! We’re back in Baltimore on October 27 to debate: Will Generative AI Enhance or Stunt College Learning?
Arguing “Enhance”: Rumman Chowdhury and @RaviPendse
Arguing “Stunt”: @mathbabedotorg and @GaryMarcus
Join all four debaters and Moderator-in-Chief @JohnDonvan, as they explore what generative AI means for the future of higher education.
Reserve your FREE tickets here: bit.ly/3U28sE2
Presented by @SNFAgora and @OpentoDebateOrg
With the midterms weeks away, what does it mean to be a good citizen?
@ericpliu sits down with @JohnDonvan and argues citizenship is more than a legal status or a vote every few years. After years in Washington, including in the Clinton White House, he came to believe lasting change starts with citizens and communities, not at the top. His new book lays out eight practices for rebuilding civic life: see, listen, feel, join, fight, change, imagine and commit.
Our guest: Eric Liu, CEO and co-founder of @CitizenUniv and author of "Live Like a Citizen: 8 Ways to Change Your Mindset and Our Country"
Watch the full episode: youtube.com/watch?v=tOYWb4_u…
Open to Debate retweeted
Labor Economist and CWD Senior Research Fellow Teresa Ghilarducci discusses the future of social security on Open to Debate (@OpentoDebateOrg ).
Check it out! youtu.be/XCP6SdSdRlQ
Did Israel have another option in Gaza after the October 7 attacks?
@mehdirhasan argues Israel has shown it can target Hamas leaders precisely, so the scale of destruction in Gaza was a choice, not a necessity.
@EylonALevy counters that Hamas deliberately embedded itself among civilians and hostages, so reaching its leaders was never as simple as a single strike.
Watch the full debate: bit.ly/4zldU3Q
Has the 401(k) failed American workers?
@tghilarducci argues saving on your own hasn't worked, leaving even well-paid workers retiring with far too little.
@RominaBoccia counters that the private system is working, and lower earners would save more if Social Security took less of their pay.
Watch the full debate: youtube.com/watch?v=XCP6SdSd…
Open to Debate retweeted
Excited to be nominated for a @signalawards for hosting @OpentoDebateOrg's Generational Divides podcast. Info, voting rules at vote.signalaward.com/PublicV…
