In 2016, the UK stunned the rest of Europe by voting to leave the European Union. The split was close, 48 per cent of people voted to stay but 52 per cent voted to leave the geopolitical and trade alliance. In his book, Geography is Destiny, Ian Morris argues Brexit should not have come as a surprise. Instead he says, this has been playing out for 10,000 years, when the landmass now known as Britain first became an island. Morris argues that Britain is uniquely positioned due to its proximity to Europe while able to stay insular thanks to the English Channel. This wasn’t always the case. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were bit players on the edge of the European stage. But by 1500 CE, advancement of ships and governments of the day turned  Britain into a worldwide power. By 1900, Britain was beginning to see the sun set on its empire thanks to rapid globalization. Now Morris says, the great question facing Britain now is how to keep up with Beijing and is it “chaps or maps” that make a country great. 

Joining the Munk Debates for this Dialogue is Ian Morris, author of Geography is Destiny. 


QUOTES:

“The title of the book is “Geography is Destiny”. That’s because nothing that was said or done during the Brexit debate was in any way new. It was like it was the latest round in an 10,000-year-old argument that we can trace back to the history and archaeology about “what do insularity and proximity mean” and “what do we do with them?”

-Ian Morris

 

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  

Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/

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To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

 

Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan

Editor: Adam Karch

In 2016, the UK stunned the rest of Europe by voting to leave the European Union. The split was close, 48 per cent of people voted to stay but 52 per cent voted to leave the geopolitical and trade alliance. In his book, Geography is Destiny, Ian Morris argues Brexit should not have come as a surprise. Instead he says, this has been playing out for 10,000 years, when the landmass now known as Britain first became an island. Morris argues that Britain is uniquely positioned due to its proximity to Europe while able to stay insular thanks to the English Channel. This wasn&rsquo;t always the case. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were bit players on the edge of the European stage. But by 1500 CE, advancement of ships and governments of the day turned&nbsp; Britain into a worldwide power. By 1900, Britain was beginning to see the sun set on its empire thanks to rapid globalization. Now Morris says, the great question facing Britain now is how to keep up with Beijing and is it &ldquo;chaps or maps&rdquo; that make a country great.&nbsp;
Joining the Munk Debates for this Dialogue is Ian Morris, author of Geography is Destiny.&nbsp;
 QUOTES:
&ldquo;The title of the book is &ldquo;Geography is Destiny&rdquo;. That&rsquo;s because nothing that was said or done during the Brexit debate was in any way new. It was like it was the latest round in an 10,000-year-old argument that we can trace back to the history and archaeology about &ldquo;what do insularity and proximity mean&rdquo; and &ldquo;what do we do with them?&rdquo;
-Ian Morris
&nbsp;
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths -&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rudyardg">@rudyardg</a>. &nbsp;
Tweet your comments about this episode to&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">@munkdebate</a>&nbsp;or comment on our Facebook page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/">https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/</a>
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@munkdebates.com">podcast@munkdebates.com</a>. &nbsp;
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at&nbsp;<a href="https://munkdebates.com/membership">https://munkdebates.com/membership</a>
Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue -&nbsp;<a href="https://munkdebates.com/">https://munkdebates.com/</a>
&nbsp;
Senior Producer: Kelly Linehan
Editor: Adam Karch

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

The Munk Debates Podcast

The Munk Debates Podcast is dedicated to convening civil and substantive debates and dialogues on the big issues of the day. Each debate features two compelling thinkers debating a topic driving the public conversation. Each dialogue features world-renowned thinkers offering unique insight into the issues affecting us most. The podcast is an extension of the charitable Munk Debates' commitment to pushing back against the political polarization and restoring the art of public debate in our time. For more information about the Munk Debates visit www.munkdebates.com/podcast

The Munk Debates Podcast is dedicated to convening civil and substantive debates and dialogues on the big issues of the day. Each debate features two compelling thinkers debating a topic driving the public conversation. Each dialogue features world-renowned thinkers offering unique insight into the issues affecting us most. The podcast is an extension of the charitable Munk Debates' commitment to pushing back against the political polarization and restoring the art of public debate in our time. For more information about the Munk Debates visit www.munkdebates.com/podcast

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