Friends of Cal Debate: Next Steps for the Economic Recovery

Cal Debate Team
Harvard Debate Team

What steps should November’s presidential victor take to encourage and sustain economic recovery in the United States? In this year’s Cal-Harvard debate, we’ll be discussing next steps in the economic recovery: What policies will be most conducive to growth? Must taxes be higher on the top income bracket? Do we need another stimulus package? You won’t want to miss this engaging discussion on how to best solve some of the most pressing problems facing the country.

Location:  SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program. This will be a 90-minute debate from 6-7:30 p.m.
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, students free (with valid ID)

Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein
 
Thomas Mann, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution; Co-author, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks
Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute; Co-author, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks

Joseph Tuman, Professor of Political and Legal Communications, San Francisco State University; Political Analyst, CBS 5 TV - Moderator

In their new book, It's Even Worse Than It Looks, political pundits Mann and Ornstein unleash their critique of the dysfunctional political system in America. With hyper-partisanship seeping into every aspect of American political life, Mann and Ornstein believe our very system of constitutional democracy has been compromised. As former executive director of the American Political Science Association and current Brookings Institute Fellow, Mann has teamed up with long-time CBS election correspondent Ornstein to offer the political prescription for functioning politics in the U.S. Come hear their panoply of useful ideas and reforms to call the media and public into focus on the real problems facing American democracy today.
 
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking exception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)

Middle East Discussion Group

Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines.  After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session.

MLF: Middle East
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. program
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: Celia Menczel

Paul Krugman: End This Depression Now

Paul Krugman,  Columnist, The New York Times; Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Princeton University; Author, End This Depression Now!

Nobel Laureate economist Krugman believes that the U.S. and world economies are not getting better. He says we are still in the midst of a depression rather than a recession, and that “nations, rich in resources, talent, and knowledge, all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all, remain in a state of intense pain.”  Yet he also believes that a quick, strong recovery is but one step away.  Come hear his thoughts on what political leaders can and must do.

Location: Hotel Nikko-Ballroom; 222 Mason St.  San Francisco
Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $35 standard, $20 members, $10 students (with valid ID); Premium: $70 standard, $50 members (includes book and priority seating in the front)
Also know: Photo Credit: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

On Assignment with National Geographic

Edwin Dobb, Knight Center for Science and Environmental Journalism, U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Cynthia Gorney, Long-time, honored contributing writer, National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine, articles and stories on women, children and indigenous people
Andrew Todhunter, Stanford University, Author; Winner, PEN USA Literary Award, worked on several films for National Geographic Television; Journalist, National Geographic
Timothy Ferris, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize Nominee; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Astronomy writer, National Geographic

National Geographic has long been a national and international gateway to the world, taking us to faraway places, introducing the universe of science, cultures, history and environmental challenges, and their work with scientists, adventurers and discoverers. Join moderator Edwin Dobb and fellow National Geographic contributors for a lively, enlightening and informative evening of fieldwork stories and studies.

MLF: Environment & Natural Resources
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program organizer: Ann Clark

U.S.-Cuba Relations and the Cuban Economy

Carlos Alzugaray, Professor, University of Havana, Center for the Study of the United States
Jorge Mario Sanchez Egozcue, Professor, University of Havana, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy
Margaret E. Crahan, Senior Research Scholar, Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University - Moderator

Since Fidel Castro turned over power to his brother Raul in 2006, Cuba and U.S.-Cuban relations have undergone a variety of changes. Raul has increasingly emphasized transforming the Cuban bureaucracy and economy in an effort to eliminate inefficiency and lack of competitiveness in the international market. The discovery of oil off the north coast of Cuba has opened the possibility for Cuba to become a major oil and gas producer. The overhaul of the domestic economy allows more space for small domestic entrepreneurs and encourages foreign investment, especially in tourism and agriculture. While European, Asian, and Latin American investors are increasingly exploring opportunities in Cuba, the U.S.-Cuban economic and political relations stagnate. What’s next for the Cuban economy and U.S.-Cuban relations?

MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 12:30 p.m. check-in,  1 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden