IQ2US / Open to Debate an Oasis of Civilized Debate

There is a place where the fine art of civilized and civil debate is making a comeback. Open to Debate formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S., an Oxford style debate format show distributed by National Public Radio and available online and through free podcasts, is that wonderful combination of education, exposition and entertainment. IQ2US, it’s shorthand name, is not new. The show has been produced in the U.S. since 2006 as an initiative of the Rosenkranz Foundation to promote healthy civic dialogue. The original British version is still going strong after more than a decade (and can be viewed online, too, something I highly recommend.) But lately the U.S. enterprise has caught a buzz. Or maybe it is just that I’ve newly discovered this gem, and have been sifting through its meaty archive ever since.