This Week in Disagreement - May 16
Throwing down in the highest court and in the comments
A weekly rundown of disagreement-worthy moments.
Disagreements in the Wild
When it comes to dialogue, we believe the more the merrier
“Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews?” Rahm Emanuel, Jason Greenblatt, and Bret Stephens discussed at 92NY a part of a new series called the SAPIR Debates. It’s “a spirited but civil exchange of views on the most consequential issues facing the Jewish community.” Stream the recording here.
👀We may or may not have our own take on a similar question soon…
Related, The Moynihan Report had a live discussion about Trump and Free Speech, featuring , , and a few others. Check it out on YouTube.
Honoring Our Intellectual Values: Humility, Honesty, Compassion
Humility
Is there an ethical way to be a tourist in Hawaii? Climate organizer Kaniela Ing had a strong position on this question in his viral tweet: “Stop coming to Hawaii.” But Ing reconsidered his stance when the context changed. He told climate journalist of that “he’s slightly updated his position since 2021, when coronavirus and water shortages were overwhelming the island of Maui, leading to strict water use limitations for residents.” Now he says, “‘Try to be a visitor. Don't be a tourist.’” We'll always be a fan of thinkers who integrate new information into their disagreement position. Read Emily’s full article here.
Disagreement Updates
Topics we’ve covered, recently in the news
Politics
Birthright Citizenship: The US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on the Trump administration’s challenge. For a deeper understanding, check out our episode.
Campus Deportations: Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk was released from detention. In a live conversation, podcast host Brian Reed, of Question Everything, Serial and This American Life talked with Tufts students about the case:“Rümeysa Öztürk is Locked Up for an Op-ed: An Urgent Summit with the Student Newspaper that Published It.”
Education
Teaching Math: “The Math Wars’ Last stand” - Previous TD podcast guest wrote about new evidence for teaching math in . Her disagreement with us on ‘the math wars’ is one of our most popular episodes so far.
School Choice: “Supreme Court majority seems open to religious public charter schools” (WAPO). For a different conversation on school choice, listen to our podcast episode.
Ships in the Night: Ari Paul x Matt Taibbi on Federal Funding for Media
Opportunities for constructive dialogue
By now you’ve probably heard about the federal funding cuts for NPR and PBS. Writer Ari Paul at FAIR.org covered the news with this article: ”Cuts to PBS, NPR Part of Authoritarian Playbook.” On Substack, at wrote a response: “No, State Media and Democracy Don't Go "Hand in Hand." Just the Opposite.” Ari Paul wrote a response to the response, calling out Taibbi’s ‘straw man’ argument.
Matt and Ari, we’d love to have you on the show to steel man, not just straw man.
The Disagreement is all about enabling tough conversations in real time. If there are other guests you’d like to see on the podcast, please let us know.
How To Disagree: Embrace Complexity
It Can Be Lonely to Have a Middle-of-the Road Opinion on the Middle East
“Some college students and faculty members are seeking space for nuanced perspectives on the Israel-Hamas war on deeply divided campuses.” (Read More.)
Coming Up Next on The Disagreement Podcast
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
Our latest podcast episode dropped this week. It’s on Birthright Citizenship, featuring and Cristina Rodríguez.
Wed. May 21: Substack Live with - stay tuned for details!
Thurs. May 29: Is College Worth It? Live from ASU+GSV with Dr. Bridget Burns and Ryan Craig
Alright, that’s all for now folks. May your disagreements be healthy and highly productive.
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