FREEDOM PUBLIC SQUARE : Recent Episodes
Dr. Narain Batra
All about free speech, free expression, culture, politics, technology, and America's global role and responsibilities.
Engaging in conversations with strangers has been shown to have numerous positive effects on well-being. It can improve trust and contribute to a person's social health and overall well-being. Meeting strangers is not just beneficial; it's essential for business success in the 21st century.
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In a world increasingly dominated by screens, reclaiming the art of conversation is moreimportant than ever. By making a conscious effort to be present, listen actively, and engage in meaningful dialogue, we can foster deeper connections, build stronger relationships, andcreate a more fulfilling and enriching life, both personally and professionally. So put down your phone, look up, and start a conversation. You might be surprised by the connections you make.
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Early January 2002 President George W. Bush while watching a football game on television in his living quarters in the White House choked on pretzel and tumbled momentarily. But he never choked for a moment when he ordered the invasion of Iraq a year later. Nor did President Harry Truman choke when he ordered the dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, pooh-poohing J. Robert Oppenheimer as a “crybaby scientist.” In Chris Nolan’s movie, Truman gives Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) his handkerchief to wipe it off when Oppenheimer says that he has blood on his hands.
But in our daily lives we see some of the most talented people, experts in their fields, in academics, sports, entertainment, business, choke under pressure when the moment for performance comes for which they have prepared for days and days. Why do the brightest students sometime do poorly on standardized tests? Why do we flunk that interview or miss that golf putt when we should have had it in the bag? Why do we mess up when it matters the most, when the stakes are high? This is how Dr. Sian Beilock, a famed cognitive scientist and a polymath, Dartmouth College’s president begins her book, Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To. Based on multidisciplinary research, lab work, anecdotal evidence drawn from media and personal narratives, the book is intimate, intellectually engaging and insightful, and most importantly it is a kind of how to do manual.
However, I wonder whether there could be some positive effects of the natural phenomenon from which no human being is immune. Just consider: What if President George W. Bush had visualized the invasion of Iraq and choked under the psychological pressure and held back. A most unnecessary and tragic war could have been avoided. Or, if President Harry Truman had visualized the horrific human suffering and choked for a moment and instead ordered the dropping of atom bombs away from human habitation, which as well could have ended the war. How is it that people like Donald Trump never choke under pressure? Perhaps in her next book Dr. Beilock would tell us how the minds of politicians work, why they don’t choke under pressure as most of us, the best of us, do sometime.
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In a brief video presentation for the World Economic Forum, Wharton Business School’s organizational psychologist Adam Grant said, “It's character, not just talent, that determines success.” He was echoing the Greek philosopher Heraclitus(500 BC) who said that “Character is destiny.” In other words, one’s future is not preordained but is determined by one’s character. However, circumstances play a big role in forming one’s character as we see in the life stories of Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Gautam Adani, and many other rag-to-riches tales of modern times. Ultimately, success is rarely a single factor. It's a complex interplay of talent, character, opportunity, and circumstance. However, strong character provides a solid foundation that can help individuals maximize their potential and navigate the challenges and opportunities they encounter along their journey. Character opens doors to future opportunities.
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The Tuck Business School’s Dean Matthew Slaughter and his colleague Matthew Rees issued a report about the whirligig of the business world and America’s pivotal role with an intriguing title, “Will the World Get a Vote in America?” They lament that America has lost its place in the global economy, though, according to them, “most Americans want to build more bridges connected to the global economy—along with moreladders of opportunity to take advantage of global engagement.” The day Slaughter & Rees published their report aboutthe need for global bridgebuilding and free flow of trade and commerce, on the Hill another deep discussion was taking place regarding the dark role of the Communist Party of China, which under President Xi Jinping has begun to use all available means not for bridgebuilding but to penetrate and hack the most vitalentrails of American society. Slaughter & Rees idea of America’s engagement with the world is different from how the Communist Party of China under President Xi Jinping wants to engage with the world. Perhaps in their next report, Slaughter & Rees would respond to the challenge of doing business with China in the framework of geopolitical realities and national security.
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Would America let down the world In 2024? Looking at the disorder and chaos of 2023, it seems more than ever that American global leadership is indispensable. Nonetheless, every year commentators and pundits utter the same shibboleths that the post-World War II global system which the United Statesbuilt and sustained with its economic, military, and soft power is now breaking up amidst regional challenges, chaos, disorder, and strife; and not least the rise of China, its global ambitions, and its alliance with aggressive and authoritarian Russia under Vladimir Putin.
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As it happened with other technologies of freedom such as the printing press, the Internet and social media, Generative AI would enable more people to access advanced AI capabilities, empowering individuals and groups to be more creative, productive, and knowledgeable. This would raise the average intelligence level of people and make societies more productive. By automating certain cognitive tasks, AI would free up mental capacity for people to focus on higher-level thinking and judgment. AI would help break down language barriers, translate ideas more effectively, and connect individuals with diverse expertise. This would lead to improved collaboration and communication across various fields and disciplines and cultures, and enhance the collective intelligence of Americans and free people everywhere.
Digital India under the tech-visionary Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a new challenge as to how to create public-private partnership to harness the immense power of Generative Artificial Intelligence to bring about transformative changes in all aspects of Indian life.
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In several landmark cases (Schenck v. United States, Brandenberg v. Ohio, among others) the US Supreme Court has ruled that free speech under the First Amendment has absolute protection unless it creates clear and present danger amounting to an imminentthreat of violence. But when does that tipping point, “an imminent threat of violence,” occur when a university president should ask the police to intervene, in which case protesting students, numbering thousands in some cases, might turn violent at the sight of the cops. The Gaza-Israel conflict is a complex issuewith deep historical roots and profound implications not only for diplomats and international relations experts but also for people in streets and college campuses. It is an issue that takes an existential dimension and elicits gut-wrenching emotions and polarized views, making it a challenging subject for any open and rational discussion. On college campuses, where the exchange of ideas is a fundamental principle, this issue has led to heated debates, protests, and in some cases, allegations of censorship and suppression of free speech.
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Democratic institutions are the pillars of a free and democratic society. They include the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the legislature. These institutions check and balance each other, ensuring that no one branch of government becomes too powerful. Trump has repeatedly attacked democraticinstitutions. He has called the 2020 election fraudulent, even though there is no evidence to support this claim. He has also threatened to jail his political opponents and has suggested that he might not accept the results of the 2024 election. Trump's attacks on democratic institutions are a threat to the veryfoundation of our democracy. If he is re-elected, he will likely continue to undermine these institutions, making it more difficult to hold him accountable and further eroding our democracy.
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When the horrific savagery, red in tooth and claw, was let loose on innocent people in Israel and Gaza, and antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred were spreading in America and Europe, an anguished Jewish woman cried in pain, “Where is God in this time? Where is he or she?”
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“WHO YOU GONNA CALL?”
Certainly not Ghostbusters, even “if you’re seeing things running through your head.” Nor would Elvis Presley’s romantic lyric “Tell me dear, Are You Lonesome Tonight,” would help you to getout of a funk, a shade of gray mood characterized by feelings of emptiness, lack of motivation, grouchiness, some kind of diffused malaise.
Most of us know how our bodies twist and turn, ache and break, and we readily seek medical help; but very few of us understand our cognitive health, how and why our minds become dysfunctional. We spend billions and billions on our physical health but not much on our mental health.
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Maps have always played a pivotal role in shaping geopolitical realities. They serve as powerful tools of communication, shaping public perception and, at times, laying the groundwork for territorial aggressions. China understands this power well and has been actively using maps to assert its territorial claims.
China's unfounded territorial claims, backed by fake cartographic forays, from the Himalayas to the South China Sea and other parts of the world such as Russia-China border belie China’s pretentious claims about peaceful coexistence.
Very soon, in a week or so, thousands and thousands of young people would be flocking to campuses across the country hoping to build a bright future for themselves, which would also shape the nation in this age of Generative Artificial Intelligence and MAGA tribalism.Parents would hope and pray that their children would stay safe and healthy on the campuses; and when they graduate, the world be their oyster.
I would have to reprogram my mind and clear my conscience and try my best to become an impartial juror because the Sixth Amendment commands that the accused, Donald J. Trump, “shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury.” Jury duty is one of the most sacred obligations of being a citizen.
Can I really become an impartial juror in spite of the fact that since the November 2020 presidential election results, I have been exposed to the most horrendous, though spectacular, images of the Capitol being assaulted by a murderous mob and Senators and House members running helter-skelter for safety; watched the Select Committee January 6th live proceedings and read the executive summary report, which concluded that none of the events of January 6th would have happened without Trump. And oh my God! then there’s the Trump tweet, "Be there, will be wild!"
Power and influence in American society are exercised by groups of people, whether Democrats or Republicans, who control the wealth of the nation. Any which way they can, they influence the national agenda. “Americans may be equal, but some are more equal than others,” economist Paul Krugman wrote a while ago. The most obvious influential actor is the political establishment—career politicians, top government officials, and prominent political families. They can be found at various levels of the government, from local and regional to national, and often have significant influence over policy decisions and the direction of the country.
Freedom, innovation, and democracy go together University campuses have always been a place for resistance against oppression and a battleground for our freedom of expression since the early days of the Republic. Today both public and private universities are struggling with how to preserve and encourage freedom of thought and expression in the face of state political interference and cancel culture. According to key findings of the 2022-2023 College Free Speech Rankings report by The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire), “Alarming proportions of students self-censor, report worry or discomfort about expressing their ideas in a variety of contexts, find controversial ideas hard to discuss, show intolerance for controversial speakers, find their administrations unclear or worse regarding support for free speech, and even report that disruption of events or violence are, to some degree, acceptable tactics for shutting down the speech of others.”
In an instructive and inspiring article in the Boston Globe, Barnard College’s Sian Bellock, a cognitive scientist and public intellectual with a large social media presence, and Dartmouth College’s Phil Hanlon, a prominent American mathematician and computer scientist, talk about the danger of being silent on the campus. Bellock and Hanlon write, “But it isn’t what people are saying on campus that’s the problem. Rather it is self-censorship, what is
being left unsaid, that is the true issue….It is our own unwillingness to speak that has eroded our ability to seek deeper truth through the interchange of
ideas — in academia and beyond. The fear of speaking up is driving discourse down. What speech will be left to save if no one is talking?” We must have the
courage to be wrong, they say, and university campuses must move from “safe spaces” to “brave spaces.”
To address concerns surrounding campus free speech censorship, Bellock and Hanlon urge that universities should prioritize the development of critical thinking skills among their students. By teaching students how to evaluate and critique different perspectives, universities can empower
individuals to engage in respectful debates and form well-informed opinions. Intellectual diversity should be actively promoted, ensuring that a wide range
of viewpoints are represented and considered within academic settings. This includes inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds and ideologies, challenging
students to grapple with contrasting opinions, and encouraging the exploration of uncomfortable or controversial subjects.
But the challenge is whether university administrators and professors can help and encourage students to free themselves from the fear of freedom, the fear of free speech, on campus.
While AI presents challenges and risks, its potential to enhance our humanity should notbe overlooked. By augmenting human capabilities, transforming work and economy,addressing ethical concerns, and fostering human-machine collaboration, AI canbe a powerful tool for progress and advancement.To ensure that AI enhances our humanity, it is essential to approach its development andimplementation with careful consideration, transparency, and ethicalframeworks. By doing so, we can unlock the transformative potential of AI whilesafeguarding the values that define us as humans. With responsible andthoughtful integration, AI, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “the greatesttechnology humanity has yet developed,” can be a driving force behind abrighter and more prosperous future for all of humanity.
Guns and sex—what can be done? If politicians don’t know what to do about guns, andthey can’t fight against the “girlie men” and “bush-whoopingwomen” of Hollywood, how would they control social media and AI, where no one has much control? Whether it was Dr. Alfred Kinsey or Playboy that liberatedAmericans, nonetheless, sexual imagery, heterosexual, homosexual, omnisexual,and non-binary, has been seeping into American public discourse, even intocorporate brands.Just as social media and Hollywood deliver to usour daily dreams of fun and fun, “White Lotus”, “Succession” and more, godlymen are always ready to deliver us from our daily sins. But AI Chatbotspromise to do more.
Early January this year, when India’s top industrialist, Gautam Adani completed the purchase of Haifa Port in Israel, he was Asia’s richest and most admirable businessman. But then a sudden shark attack by a US based shot seller Hindenburg research group left Adani bleeding. How can the Adani Group rebuild its reputation?
Last month, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean took a giant step for mankind.
Vanuatu, an archipelago of islands, like many other countries in the Indo-Pacific such as Fiji, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Madagascar, is vulnerableto the ravages of extreme climate changes. The rising sea levels triggered by global environmental pollution and rising temperatures might make some islands vanish altogether.
A new climate narrative that fires up youth environmental activism, myriad high stake climate injury court cases, investments in new climate technologies that create business opportunities, and most importantly, political commitment from global leaders would bring about slow mitigation of the climate crisis.
The term cyberspace was coined by William Gibson in his 1984 science fiction Neuromancer—a dark social universe. But America created cyberspace, the Internet, based on its democratic value system—free, open, decentralized, distributed, and self-governing.
What if the Internet had been created in China or Russia? Its architecture and algorithms would have been very different, geared more toward creating a surveillance society than enhancing democratic values.
Spreading democracy is a worthy goal but the United States faces complex challenges in an interdependent world, challenges that are compellingpolicymakers, Democrats and Republicans, to act as pragmatist idealists. Instead of crouching toward China or Russia as a model, developing nations should look to the United States. This is the biggest challenge for US international diplomacy today. Rebuilding Ukraine after theRussian guns are silenced and enabling it to become a member of the European Union would create hope for democracy. But it is the vast and economically vibrant Indo-Pacific region that is the best hope for democracy, and whereIndia is a shining star.
While China builds up its diplomatic presence in the Middle East and is perhaps looking forward to brokering a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia, in the South China Sea it has been gradually building strategic advantages that threaten the vital interests of the United States and its allies.
Hovering all around, over death and destruction, are the vultures of war—arms manufacturers, energy companies, politicians and oligarchs, black market traders, and human traffickers.
There’s no gainsaying the fact that although war has brutalized a vast swath of the Ukrainian population, the West’s geopolitical gains have been tremendous. With the admission of Finland and Sweden as full-fledged members, NATO would be enlarged, and Europe would be more united than ever since the end of the Cold War. The question is whether the truncated and moth-eaten Ukraine would be allowed to become part of the EU and NATO, without which it would have no democratic future.
“Beam me up, Scotty,” is science fiction but beaming up work to Scotty who lives in a remote place is a reality and may become a necessity.Smart people—digitally smart people who can work from anywhere—and brain inflow through immigration would keep the United States perpetually rejuvenated.
Beyond academia, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening a wonderful world of immense possibilities. Such possibilities include, for example, helping save the Amazon by forecasting deforestation; automation and job creation through reskilling; mitigating and managing climate change by measuring emissions; boosting the discovery of new drugs; fighting terrorism and transforming national security; and improving the criminal justice system and cutting crime rates.
Work brings us together, promotes community relations and safety, and encourages civic participation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are key to achieving sustainable growth and prosperity.
American political power is a shared and decentralized phenomenon. Corporate America controls some levers of power and influence.
It's true that nobody has a monopoly on truth; therefore, the First Amendment, in essence, says: Speak up fearlessly so that truth might emerge. In the marketplace of ideas, when robust and uninhibited discussion about public issues leads to outright lies, inaccurate information, or misinformation, the remedy is not censorship or suppression of the information however outrageous it may be. But what's the remedy?