More Questions Than Answers: Recent Episodes
The Democracy Fund
Dr. Julie Ponesse has a PhD in Philosophy (Western, 2008) with areas of specialization in ethics and ancient philosophy.
She has a Masters in Philosophy with Collaborative Specialization in Bioethics from the University of Toronto and a Diploma in Ethics from the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.
In the fall of 2021, Dr. Julie Ponesse saw her academic career of 20 years fall apart after she refused to comply with a Canadian university’s COVID vaccine mandate.
Dr Ponesse now works for The Democracy Fund as the Pandemic Ethics Scholar which allows to have interesting conversations with interesting people where no questions or topics are taboo.
Where they aren’t afraid to work through the thoughts on our minds. No cancelling, no censoring, no holding back for fear of what others might say or do to us. No shutting down or shying away. Just honest, open, rigorous conversation about the big issues that are interesting and concerning us today.
”It seems like we no longer have the skills or grace to tolerate uncomfortable questions or open discussion. We seem only to want ’black and white’ solutions to grey problems. Open-ended questions, more questions than answers. These are the things that appeal to me. That’s my comfort zone.”– Dr. Julie Ponesse
A deep-dive on the state of freedom in Canada and the world today with journalist and public intellectual Toby Young.
Dr. Julie Ponesse interviews award-winning journalist Trish Wood (of Trish Wood is Critical) to understand how we go to where we are today and why moral conscience, questioning and speech are key to reclaiming our fundamental freedoms.
Dr. Julie Ponesse and Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Salé discuss the crises of meaning and freedom of speech brought on by the COVID-19 response, finding hope in dark days, the power of supportive relationships, and the importance of integrity, optimism and respect moving forward.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya about science, public health, informed consent, trust and the future of COVID-19.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with hyper-surrealist, award-winning artist, Josh Tiessen, about the power art has to communicate ideas and messages about our world.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks to the members of three different student advocacy groups who have been fighting against the COVID-19 mandates.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Pastor Artur Pawlowski about his experience dealing with the police, getting fined repeatedly, and ultimately being arrested and held in solitary confinement for 40 days.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Ryerson students, Curtis Heinen and Vina Quiambao, about what the university environment is like today and their experience of not complying with the vaccine mandate.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with former politician Stockwell Day about the state of Canada today, a growing culture of fear, politics, history, religion and our future.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Anita Krishna, former control room news director, about working in a newsroom, speaking freely, as well as standing up for your beliefs and the fallout from doing so in today’s cancel culture.
Dr. Julie Ponesse and CEO Michael Driver discuss the not so conspiratorial aspirations of the billionaire class, being optimistic during a pandemic, conformity, the natural laws of the universe and the inability to truly control it.
Dr. Julie Ponesse and Queen’s University Professor of Law Bruce Pardy discuss the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court ruling in the U.S. that overturns Roe v. Wade.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Dr. Steven Pelech about the differences between natural immunity and the immunity acquired through the COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Professor Mattias Desmet about meaning making, mass formation, totalitarianism, collectivism and the critical role speaking out has against the masses.
TDF's Ethics Scholar, Dr. Julie Ponesse, speaks with Professor Bonnie Mallard from the Pathobiology Department at the University of Guelph, who is the inventor of the High Immune Response Technology and the Immunity+ Technology, and a recipient of the Governor General’s Innovation Award.
Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Dr. Crystal Luchkiw and lawyer Michael Alexander about practicing medicine during the pandemic and the many unfortunate abuses taking place.
On April 25, 2022, the following study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal(CMAJ): “Impact of population mixing between vaccinated and unvaccinated subpopulations on infectious disease dynamics: implications for SARS-CoV-2 transmission.” The mainstream news stories that resulted from this study emphasized that the unvaccinated are dangerous and should be feared, which further strengthened the COVID-19 narrative.
Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse spoke with Denis Rancourt, former physics professor and current researcher at the Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA), to get a better understanding of the study and to learn whether or not the statements being made by the mainstream media were correct. Denis, along with Joseph Hickey, wrote an article published on the OCLA website critiquing what they believe are some fundamental flaws in the study.
Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle about the recent CMAJ article and how its implications and assumptions lead to contradictions, erroneous outcomes and stigmatization. The CMAJ article was published on April 25, 2022 titled, "Impact of population mixing between vaccinated and unvaccinated subpopulations on infectious disease dynamics: implications for SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with TDF's new Historian in Residence Conrad Black about the current state of democracy, why he joined TDF and the history of civil liberties in Canada. Black will be involved in a number of events including a public speaking series with distinguished guests titled, The History of Civil Liberties in Canada, as well as a series of video vignettes and a book publication. During this conversation, Black describes his growing concern around the state of democracy in Canada, the increase in arbitrary state authority affecting laws and regulations, and the gradual decline of a variety of opinions and viewpoints being expressed in the media with a growing authoritarian soft left influence taking hold.
Ethics scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Sharlene Styles, a holistic nutritionist offering transformational coaching and nutritional counseling, about the mind, body and spiritual components that work together to make up an individual’s overall health. They discuss the connection between mental, emotional and physical health and some of the more prevalent health issues Sharlene has been seeing in her practice over the course of the pandemic including more weight gain, depression, burnout and chronic fatigue.
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by Medical Ethicist, Dr. Aaron Kheiraty, to examine some of the concerns around the research and safety signals related to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Dr. Kheriaty Senior Fellow and Director of the Program in Health and Human Flourishing at the Zephyr Institute, Fellow and Director of the Bioethics and American Democracy Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Scholar at the Paul Ramsey Institute. He also serves on the advisory board at the Simone Weil Center for Political Philosophy. He is former Professor of Psychiatry at UCI School of Medicine and served as Director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health for many years.
On March 16, 2022, I spoke with Dennis Prager, renowned broadcaster, New York Times bestselling author, scholar and co-founder of PragerU, as well as Amala Ekpunobi, PragerU’s hit personality and conservative influencer, at our civil liberties town hall event. We discussed freedom, tribalism, racism, groupthink and so much more!
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by the Honourable Brian Peckford who is the last living contributor who helped craft the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Brian Peckford then served as the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador for nearly a decade. He is also an author, former minister, and notable member of the PC Party.
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by Dr. Eric Payne who breaks down and explains what we have learned from the recently released Pfizer data.
Dr. Payne is a Canadian Paediatric Neurologist and researcher who completed his medical training at the University of Calgary, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and Harvard University.
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by political cartoonist Bob Moran. Bob was fired from his job at the Telegraph due to his views on the current mainstream narrative. Since then, Bob has joined us at The Democracy Fund where he creates cartoons that we make available for free publication use!
See Bob's work here: https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/bob_moran_gallery
Dr. Julie Ponesse caught up with Canadian Armed Forces veteran James Topp who is walking across Canada to protest against Covid-19 mandates.
Learn more about Topp's mission here: https://www.canadamarches.ca/
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined again by Trudeau's ex-sniper Cpl. Danny Bulford who left his position at the RCMP and ended up being a key organizer in the Freedom Convoy 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario. Bulford dives deep into the planning and hurtles they faced that led up to his eventual arrest because of his role in the trucker convoy.
Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by Wilfrid Laurier University Professor David M. Haskell to discuss Bill 67: An Act to amend various Acts with respect to racial equity.
Dr. Julie Ponesse is joined by law professor and Rights Probe Executive Director Bruce Pardy to discuss the state of freedom in Canada, why autonomy and civil liberties have lost their footing, and where the collectivist approach to law came from.
About Bruce: https://www.rightsprobe.org/about
The Democracy Fund is inviting young Canadians interested in pursuing a career in journalism to attend our Student Journalism Conference, May 6 - 8, 2022. The conference will be held in the Greater Toronto Area, and successful applicants will have their travel expenses covered. The conference is an equal-opportunity, non-discriminatory event, and students who are unable to fly to Toronto will be accommodated via video link. The theme of the conference is: Canadian Civil Liberties in Challenging Times.
Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse breaks down and reacts to a key judgement by Justice A. Pazaratz ruling in favour of a mother who doesn't want the Covid-19 vaccine for her kids. Crucially, Pazaratz explains that it's not illegal to question your government and think critically.
Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Dr. Barry Engelhardt to discuss what he saw in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy and how things have shifted in Canada since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Engelhardt is a retired physician after 35 years in family medicine, UFT graduate with a masters in bio ethics and is a book author.
The Canadian Constitution doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It seems to be often overlooked and with PM Justin Trudeau invoking The Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, 2022, some Canadians may not be aware of what their rights are. Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse reads the Constitution Act 1982, Part 1: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and explains why the Canadian Constitution is so important.
Alan Honner is the Senior Litigator at The Democracy Fund. Alan sat down with our Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse to go over what exactly The Emergencies Act is, why we have it, if it is appropriate to invoke in our current state, and what we can do to fight it.
My Choice: The Ethical Case Against Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates audiobook coming soon! Stay tuned!
Dr. Jordan Peterson joins Dr. Julie Ponesse to discuss the Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy 2022, cancel culture, power, racism and much more. You won't want to miss this interview!
Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Dr. Peter McCullough for an in depth discussion on Covid-19 vaccines, mandates and the mass psychosis we are experiencing. Dr. McCullough is a board certified specialist in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases, focusing on the interface of heart and kidney disease. He has an MD from the University of Texas and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Washington. He also has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan and was a full professor of medicine at Texas A&M College of Medicine in Dallas. Dr McCullough is one of the top five most-published medical researchers with papers in more than 1000 publications including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, and the British Medical Journal. He is also the editor-in-chief of Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine and senior associate editor of the American Journal of Cardiology. Dr. McCullough has been an invited lecturer at the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the European Medicines Agency. On November 19, 2020, Dr. McCullough testified in the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs concerning early ambulatory treatment of high-risk patients with COVID-19. Dr. McCullough is a COVID-19 survivor himself and welcomes post-COVID-19 patients into his practice.
David Healy is a psychiatrist, scientist, psychopharmacologist, and author.
Before becoming a professor of Psychiatry in Wales, and more recently in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University in Canada, he studied medicine in Dublin, and at Cambridge University. He is a former Secretary of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, and has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed articles, 300 other pieces, and 25 books, including The Antidepressant Era and The Creation of Psychopharmacology from Harvard University Press, The Psychopharmacologists Volumes 1-3and Let Them Eat Prozac from New York University Press, and Mania from Johns Hopkins University Press and Pharmageddon.
Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Harry Wade, the former engineering student at Western University that was dragged out of his classroom on numerous occasions for refusing to disclose his Covid-19 vaccination status.
Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Laurier University professor David M. Haskell to discuss media bias and how we got to where we are today in a post COVID-19 world– scientifically, politically and sociologically.
Available NOW at https://www.MyChoiceBook.ca My Choice: The Ethical Case Against Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates In the fall of 2021, Dr. Julie Ponesse saw her academic career of 20 years fall apart after she refused to comply with a Canadian university's COVID vaccine mandate. This is her account of the battle and its aftermath, written with passion and intelligence. But Dr. Ponesse's story travels beyond the personal and examines the ethical and philosophical dimensions of our pandemic response. If there is anyone out there who feels alone in the struggle to preserve personal choice and freedom, this book offers some very human advice on how to move forward and makes it clear that your voice deserves to be heard. Visit: https://www.mychoicebook.ca/
Dr. Julie Ponesse, the Pandemic Ethics Scholar for The Democracy Fund, joined The Faith and Democracy Series on November 17th, 2021
The Democracy Fund's Pandemic Ethics Scholar Dr. Julie Ponesse speaks with Corporal Daniel Bulford. Cpl. Bulford recently left his prestigious position as the prime minister's personal sniper detail after speaking out against the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
An encouraging speech by Dr. Julie Ponesse. Dr. Ponesse has joined The Democracy Fund as the Pandemic Ethics Scholar and she spoke at The Faith and Democracy Series on October 28, 2021.
Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Julius Ruechel, author of Autopsy of a Pandemic: The Lies, the Gamble, and the Covid-Zero Con,for an in depth and stimulating conversation about morals and ethics during a global pandemic.
Dr. Julie Ponesse sits down with Julius Ruechel, author of Autopsy of a Pandemic: The Lies, the Gamble, and the Covid-Zero Con, for an in depth and stimulating conversation about morals and ethics during a global pandemic.