The McGill International Review

MIR Meets: Henry Olsen

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Henry Olsen, a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. They discuss Doug Ford's recent re-election win in Ontario, the center of opinion in the Republican Party, and Mike Pence's desire to run for President.

 

References

 

Doug Ford’s sweeping win in Ontario is a model for populist Republicans by Henry Olsen, The Washington Post

 

Tuesday Morning Politics: Primaries in Progress from The Brian Lehrer Show

 

Georgia governor signs into law sweeping voting bill by Amy Gardner and Amy B Wang, The Washington Post

Review Radio: Public Education Policy in Quebec

Host Ali Shabani sits down with Cindy Finn, the director-general of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. They discuss the evolving use of technology in schools, the implicit expectations that school policies place on marginalized students, and the importance of consulting a wide array voices before implementing large-scale education policy.

 

Special thanks to CKUT for helping with the production of this episode.

MIR Meets: Moshe Lander

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Moshe Lander, an economics professor at McGill University. They discuss Lander's journey as an economics professor, the misconceptions surrounding our current inflation crisis, and whether or not an economics degree should be subsidized for the sake of positive externalities.

MIR Meets: Alyssa Rosenberg

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Alyssa Rosenberg, a columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra, the ephemerality of political performance, and Scarlet Witch's arc in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

 

References

 

Two questions to ask before joining the culture war on Russia by Alyssa Rosenberg, The Washington Post

 

Netflix’s comedown was inevitable. In fact, it’s a relief. by Alyssa Rosenberg, The Washington Post

 

‘Dr. Strange’ offers a portrait of fierce maternal longing by Alyssa Rosenberg, The Washington Post

MIR Meets: Greg Sargent

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Greg Sargent, a columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the state of the U.S. economy, the New Right, popularism, and the extent to which we can disentangle the cause and effect of either party's electoral success.

 

References

 

Bad news about views of the economy gets worse for Democrats by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent, The Washington Post

 

Behind Tucker Carlson and J.D. Vance, a revolt against the GOP unfolds by Greg Sargent, The Washington Post

 

MIR Meets: David Shor by Blaise Brosnan, The McGill International Review

 

A young Democrat’s viral takedown demands a ‘wokeness’ rethink by Greg Sargent, The Washington Post

The Aftermath: China’s Dynamic Zero COVID Strategy

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the draconian pandemic restrictions China has instilled in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as the propaganda campaign that's being used to supplement it.

 

References

 

Shanghai Residents Face Food Shortages Amid Strict Covid Lockdowns from The Wall Street Journal

 

Shanghai residents bristle as a lockdown enters a second week with more testing by Vivian Wang, The New York Times

 

China’s Covid Lockdown Outrage Tests Limits of Triumphant Propaganda by Vivian Wang, Paul Mozur, and Isabelle Qian, The New York Times

 

Intro/Outro music: Synapse by Shane Ivers

 

The War for Ukraine: Why Can’t the UN Intervene?

On April 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a stirring address to the UN Security Council, pleading for them to act in the face of the mass atrocities Russian troops were committing throughout the country. The UN proceeded to do very little. Why has the UN refrained from serious intervention throughout this war?

In this episode, host Victoria Aponte sits down with Simon Bertrand, a political science professor at McGill University. They discuss the origins of the UN Security Council, veto power, and what it says about the gap between theory and practice.

This series aims aims to cover anything pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war, in particular its wider-reaching ramifications for the world at large.

Review Radio: A Ukrainian Citizen Shares His Thoughts

Danylo Rybchynski is a Ukrainian citizen.

He lives in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. For this episode, I’ve invited him onto the podcast to discuss how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted him.

Review Radio: The Golden Globes Controversy

Host Andrew Wei sits down with Los Angeles Times reporters Stacy Perman and Josh Rottenberg. They discuss the downfall of the Golden Globe Awards, and what it means for the future of entertainment awards ceremonies.

Review Radio: Russia, Ukraine, NATO, and the US

Host Marion-Ines Le Pape sits down with Thomas Graham, former Senior Director for Russia in the National Security Council Staff. They discuss the rising tension between Russia and the Western block, the possibility of a Russian invasion in Ukraine, and the likelihood of an international war.