The McGill International Review

MIR Meets: Richard Hanania

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Richard Hanania, founder of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology. They discuss the unitary actor model, state capacity, and the developing situation along the Russia-Ukraine border.

MIR Meets: Freddie deBoer

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Substack writer and Marxist Freddie deBoer, to discuss the merits of meritocracy, the polarization in our present-day culture war, and America's education system.

 

Content warning: The following episode contains strong language.

The Aftermath: Hong Kong’s ’Patriots Only’ Election

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss Hong Kong's legislative election last December, and how it plays into the larger degradation of Hong Kong's freedom and autonomy.

 

References

 

Record low turnout in controversial Hong Kong election from ABC News

 

How Hong Kong’s ‘Patriots Only’ Elections Bolster Beijing’s Grip by Austin Ramzy, The New York Times

 

Intro/Outro music: Synapse by Shane Ivers

The Making of an MIR Article

Host Andrew Wei explores writing and creativity with MIR writer Annisa Burgos. Over the course of an MIR publication cycle, Andrew follows the creative journey of Annisa as she conducts her investigative reporting and composes her MIR article.

The Aftermath: Peng Shuai‘s Disappearance

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Wenxin Fan, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. They discuss the disappearance of professional tennis player Peng Shuai, what it says about the Chinese government, and how various parties have responded to the situation.

 

Content warning: the following episode contains references to sexual assault.

 

References

 

Steve Simon announces WTA’s decision to suspend tournaments in China

 

CNN speaks to WTA chief on decision to pull tournaments from China

 

Intro/Outro music: Synapse by Shane Ivers

Dig Deeper: Social Welfare Policies in the US

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Marc Novicoff, who was the inaugural intern at Slow Boring. They discuss social welfare programs, how to lift people out of poverty, and the way rhetoric often distorts public perception of politicians and news outlets alike.

 

References

"Building a better welfare state" by Marc Novicoff, Slow Boring

"It's time to take Andrew Yang's policy ideas seriously" by Marc Novicoff, Slow Boring

MIR Meets: David Shor

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with David Shor, the head of Data Science at Blue Rose Research. They discuss issue salience, policy trade-offs, and the way the Democratic Party should frame their political messaging in order to boost their electoral viability.

Mask Hysteria: The Lab Leak Theory

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Umair Irfan, a science reporter who covers the pandemic at Vox. They discuss the origins of the pandemic, the scientific consensus surrounding it, and the way mainstream news outlets have handled the situation.

 

References

 

"The lab leak theory" from Today Explained

 

"The origins of SARS-COV-2" from Cell

 

"The lab leak hypothesis — true or not — should teach us a lesson" by Umair Irfan, Vox

 

"The conspiracy theories about the origins of the coronavirus, debunked" by Eliza Barclay, Vox

 

"Why the Lab Leak Theory Matters" by Ross Douthat, The New York Times

Review Radio: The Limitations on the US‘s Military Intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq

Host Joey Spada sits down with Christopher Preble, the Co-Director for the New American Engagement Initiative at the Atlantic Council, who provides insights into the limitations of US military intervention in the Middle East.

Poli-Tea: The 2021 Canadian Election French Debate

In this edition of MIR's coverage of the 44th Canadian Federal Election, Sara Parker, Grace Parish, and Adam Steiner discuss the highlights of the French language leaders debate, the fight for Quebec's 78 seats, and the best suits of the night.