Pod Bless Canada

In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellow Charles Burton was joined by Martin Lee - the founder of Hong Kong's Democratic Party who is known as “the Father of Democracy” in Hong Kong. Burton and Lee discuss the extradition issue gripping Hong Kong in the larger context of democratic rights and freedoms in the region.

The recent sentencing of nine leaders of Hong Kong’s pro-democratic Umbrella Movement shows that Beijing’s grip is tightening over Hong Kong’s free society, including the judiciary. Furthermore, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is trying to put in place measures that critics fear would allow for the arrest and rendition to China of anyone in Hong Kong, whether living there, working, vacationing or just passing through, including Canadians. The passing of this amendment to Hong Kong's extradition law seriously threatens the security of Hong Kong people, and the more than 300,000 Canadians residing and doing business there.

On May 7th, 2019, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute was proud to host Mr. Lee and a delegation from Hong Kong for a talk and panel discussion on Hong Kong's Imperilled Freedoms and their Impact on Canada. More information can be found here: https://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/videos-photos-hong-kongs-imperilled-freedoms-panel-discussion/

In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI counterterrorism analyst and research intern Irfan Yar is joined by Constantino Xavier, a leading expert on Indian political institutions, decision-making processes, and security relationships with other Indo-Pacific nations.

This discussion continues MLI’s examination of India’s ongoing general elections, the world’s largest democratic exercise. Mr. Xavier shares his expertise on leading election issues, such as economic growth, infrastructural modernization, and bureaucratic reforms. The two also discuss the electoral implications of hacking and misinformation, growing global populism and extremism, large-scale data governance, and relations with other Indo-Pacific nations—particularly China.

Constantino Xavier is a Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings India in New Delhi and the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. He previously worked as an advisor to the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi, held fellowships at the Institution for Defence Studies and Analyses and Observer Research Foundation, and received awards from the United States Fulbright program and Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Mr. Xavier holds a Ph.D in South Asian studies from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

In this special episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer is joined by Ken White to discuss the Mueller report and contemporary legal and policy issues in the United States. A criminal defence lawyer, civil litigator, former federal prosecutor, legal expert, and public policy commentator, White has particular expertise when it comes to free speech issues, public corruption, and government fraud.

As the world eagerly awaits the public disclosure of further details from the Mueller report, speculation and politicization abound. This discussion helps listeners make sense of what is known, what is unknown, and what can be expected as more details come to light. Additionally, the Speer and White discuss topics of criminal justice, free speech in Canada and the US, and the role of Presidential power in American democracy.

Ken White currently practices law in Los Angeles as a partner at Partner at Brown White & Osborn LLP. More recently, he has become a trusted public commentator on all happenings surrounding the Mueller investigation, offering his unique perspective as a former federal prosecutor and current defence attorney. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He can be followed online on Twitter: @Popehat.

In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar is joined by Dhruva Jaishankar, one of India’s foremost experts on international affairs.

With India’s elections – the world’s largest democratic exercise – fast approaching Majumdar and Jaishankar discuss the top geopolitical issues facing the country. Topics of discussion include the role of China in the Indo-Pacific region, India’s careful but constructive economic engagement with China, the need for macro-economic reforms in India and their role the upcoming election, the recent escalation of tensions in Indo-Pakistani relations, and opportunities for greater collaboration between Canada and India.

Dhruva Jaishankar is Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings India in New Delhi and the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. He was previously a Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund (GMF) where he managed the India Trilateral Forum. Before that, he was a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Trilateral Commission and Brent Scowcroft Award Fellow with the Aspen Strategy Group. He holds a master's degree in security studies from Georgetown University.

In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar is joined by Jonathan Manthorpe, a legend in Canadian journalism and international affairs and recent author of the timely Claws of the Panda: Beijing's Campaign of Influence and Intimidation in Canada.

The two discuss the central themes and fortuitous timing of Claws of the Panda, which first hit bookshelves shortly after Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou cast Canada-China relations into chaos this past December. Mr. Manthorpe argues that this event reveals the true character of China’s Communist Party, the frailty of Canada-China relations, and why—now more than ever—Canada must stand up for our values, international institutions, and the security of us and our true allies abroad.

Jonathan Manthorpe has toured the world as a foreign correspondent and international affairs columnist for the last 40 years, heading up bureaus in Europe, Africa, and Hong Kong for several leading newspapers. Based today in Vancouver, he now operates as freelance columnist, commentator, and consultant in addition to being a highly demanded speaker. Claws of the Panda is his fourth book.

In this episode, MLI Senior Fellow Marcus Kolga is joined by Col. Ilmar Tamm of the Estonian National Armed Forces and Maj. Gen. Andis Dilāns of the Latvian National Armed Forces, both also managers of the multi-nation Baltic Defence College.

They begin by introducing the Baltic Defence College, which just celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Founded to help integrate former-Soviet military officials within the Western defence architecture, the College is shared, managed, and financed by the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The three also discuss present security threats facing the Baltics and the importance of NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in checking Russian aggression.

In addition to their military duties, Maj. Gen. Dilāns serves as Commandant of the Baltic Defence College and Col. Tamm as Director of the Joint Command and General Staff Course. Marcus Kolga is an international award winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, digital communications strategist, and a leading Canadian expert on Russian and Central and Eastern European issues.

In this episode, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer is joined by Tyler Cowen to discuss his latest book, “Stubborn Attachments: A Vision for a Society of Free, Prosperous, and Responsible Individuals.” A leading US economist and intellectual, Dr. Cowan was ranked among the “Top 100 Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy Magazine.

Dr. Cowen describes Stubborn Attachments as a defence of a free society with a particular emphasis on long-term thinking and the power of compounding economic growth. He argues that decreasing growth in the US economy is largely to blame for the zero-sum thinking that marks today’s political climate. The conversation also touches on the future Canada’s economy, the geography of political gridlock, effective philanthropy, and the current health of civil society.

Tyler Cowen holds the Holbert C. Harris chair in economic at George Mason University and serves as Chairman and Faculty Director of the Mercatus Centre. He is also co-author of popular economic blog Marginal Revolution, co-founder of online education platform Marginal Revolution University, and hosts Conversations with Tyler, a diverse and wide-ranging podcast that “engages today’s deepest thinkers.”

In this episode, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar is joined once again by the venerable Ward Elcock, one of Canada most decorated public servants and a leading national security expert.

The two discuss recent developments in Canada’s relationship to China, an issue now receiving unprecedented global attention in the wake of Canada's arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. The conversation locates this event in the broader context of China’s role as a rising power and the increasingly salient question of just how Canada ought to engage a country that is a key trading partner but no ally.

A distinguished public servant of over 40 years, Ward Elcock served as the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) for over a decade (1994-2004) as well as in many senior advisory capacities to the Privy Council Office on matters of intelligence and national security.

In this episode, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar is joined by Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Nimrod Barkan, to discuss recent developments in the shifting sands of diplomacy in the Middle East.

Ambassador Barkan explains the recent cooperation between Israel and Gulf states, an emerging alliance in which Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi also acknowledged membership in earlier this month. The Ambassador points to the threat posed by Iran, now supported by Turkey, as the primary force animating this new diplomatic landscape.

This episode also covers several other issues, including how Israel navigates its relationship with Russia vis-à-vis Iran, Hezbollah’s tunnel program to attack Israeli civilians, and Iran’s new strategic position from Syria to Yemen. Tune in for a frank and world-class briefing with Canada’s friend and ally, the State of Israel.

In this episode, MLI Communications and Digital Media Manager Brett Byers is joined by Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer to discuss his recent commentary paper, "Working-Class Opportunity and the Threat of Populism in Canada."

Speer's piece locates the cause of rising populism - as witnessed in the US, UK, and elsewhere - in the anxieties felt by working-class people facing economic dislocation. From this premise, he contends that preventing the rise of populism in Canada will require policymakers to address the uncertain economic futures of Canadians without post-secondary education.

This episode considers this argument in the context of an ongoing national discussion about diversity and political representation. It also touches on several related topics such as identity, differing models of income support, and natural resource development.

Speer's commentary can be read in full here: http://macdonaldlaurier.ca/files/pdf/MLICommentary_Dec2018_Speer_F.pdf