Since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, observers have been talking about the “egalitarian” nature of the virus. ‘Covid-19 doesn’t discriminate’ has been a common refrain. But while the virus itself may have common effects across populations, the pandemic and its consequences are far from equally shared.

As with many public health challenges, the effects and costs of the pandemic are distributed unequally, with marginalized individuals and groups often asked to do the most while facing a higher likelihood of becoming ill.

It may comfort us to say we’re all in this together. But that isn’t quite true, leaving us to ask: Whose pandemic is this?

On this bonus episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Arjumand Siddiqi, Canada Research Chair in Population Health Equity and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Around the world, Black Lives Matter and their allies - are demanding justice -- and structural change -- in response to years upon years of racist violence, marginalization, and repression. In many instances, activists are being met with further state violence at the hands of police and resistance from elected representatives and officials.
Despite state intransigence, one of the core demands gaining traction right now is the movement to ‘defund the police’. But what does that mean? And, moreover, could it happen? Are we on the brink of lasting, foundational change?

Is this time different?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Fabio Rojas, professor of sociology at Indiana University Bloomington.

Humankind is facing an extraordinary threat. No, not that threat. The other one. Climate change. And we are running out of time to develop and implement solutions to meet the challenge -- or, at least, to mitigate the worst of what’s coming.

Tackling the climate crisis requires radical change, including adaptations to -- or perhaps upheavals of --  the social, political, and economic systems that have delivered us into this mess. Some people, however, argue that there is much we can and should want to keep of the old ways, not least of which may be the market economy.

That leaves us to ask: Can capitalism solve climate change? On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Tom Rand, venture capitalist and author of The Case of Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis.

As of May 18th, 2020 there are more than 1.52 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States of America. While 280,000 people have recovered from the virus, 90,000 have died -- the most of any country in the world.

The American response to the pandemic has been criticized, appropriately, by just about everyone who is paying attention. And life in the time COVID-19 has just begun, which makes the following question even more important:

Can the United States of America manage the pandemic?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Katie Simpson, CBC foreign correspondent based in Washington, D.C.

Canadians like to tell themselves stories about the serene, progressive country they call home. In certain imaginations, Canada is immune to the social and political toxicity we find around the world -- especially that which we find to the south of us. And yet, a cursory glance at our past and our present tells another tale. Racial prejudice is embedded in Canadian minds and institutions. We must confront the question: Is Canada racist?

On episode 15 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks about race in Canada with Erica Ifill, economist, writer, entrepreneur, and co-host of the podcast Bad + Bitchy.

The coronavirus pandemic continues. So does lockdown. Before the crisis, many of us used the internet for our day-to-day and month-to-month tasks. During the crisis, more of these tasks will be online. No doubt, that will continue in the future -- and change too. But we must be able to trust this digital identity: trust that it is safe and reliable, that it doesn’t lead to a further commodification of ourselves, and that its proceeds returned, at least in part, to the consumer. The question, then, is ‘Can we protect our identity online?’ On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Debbie Gamble, Chief Officer, Innovation Labs and New Ventures, Interac, about just that.

As the coronarvius pandemic continues, a mutual aid movement known as ‘caremongering’ has emerged in Canada. The endeavour is encouraging and welcome, but it isn’t new. Mutual aid and solidarity have long been practiced, especially in racialized, disabled, and Indigenous communities. On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with international development scholar Yvonne Su about the history, possibilities, and limits of caremongering.

The COVID-19 virus has upended life around the world. On this special episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop sits down -- remotely -- with professor, author, parent, and friend Amanda Watson to ask: How do we manage life during COVID-19? We discuss how she and others are managing life during the pandemic and how a lens of compassion and care can help us navigate this difficult time -- and beyond it.

Masculinity dominates our social, political, cultural, and economic lives. As a way of seeing and being in the world, it is often narrow-minded, aggressive, and oppressive.

Toxic conceptions of masculinity are a threat to all of us; but they are also social constructions. As such, they can be deconstructed and reconstructed in the service of a healthier world for everyone.

But first, we must understand masculinity. Towards that end, we ask: What does it mean to become a man?

On episode 14 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks about masculinity with Rachel Giese, a journalist and the award-winning author of the book Boys: What It Means To Become A Man.

As Canada watches protests, blockades, and other actions from Wet'suwet'en land defenders and their allies, we are reminded that protest and civil disobedience are essential to a free and democratic society.

What purpose does direct action serve? For whom? Why not try other means to achieve your ends? In other words: Why protest?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks about protest, civil disobedience, revolt, and revolution with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, curation editor at Buzzfeed News and co-host of the CBC podcast Party Lines.