We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipient, and president of PEN America, joins host Zachary Karabell to examine the true state of free speech in the United States and abroad. Mengestu shares his personal journey of immigrating to the United States from Ethiopia in the early 1980s, and how his childhood shapes his view of the topic and his feeling of belonging in America and the world. Mengestu and Karabell also explore whether the current climate of government pressure and self censorship is a unique historical crisis or simply part of a long standing oscillation in American culture. While advocating for the protection of all speech, Mengestu highlights the very real fears felt by vulnerable populations, especially immigrants facing modern government scrutiny. And In the end both Karabell and Mengestu give their grade of how we are doing as a nation when it comes to the freedom to express ourselves. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/ Follow him LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykarabell Follow Zachary on X @zacharykarabell

Is Free Expression Actually Under Attack? | with Dinaw Mengestu

Spotify

Apple

We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipient, and president of PEN America, joins host Zachary Karabell to examine the true state of free speech in the United States and abroad. Mengestu shares his personal journey of immigrating to the United States from Ethiopia in the early 1980s, and how his childhood shapes his view of the topic and his feeling of belonging in America and the world. Mengestu and Karabell also explore whether the current climate of government pressure and self censorship is a unique historical crisis or simply part of a long standing oscillation in American culture. While advocating for the protection of all speech, Mengestu highlights the very real fears felt by vulnerable populations, especially immigrants facing modern government scrutiny. And In the end both Karabell and Mengestu give their grade of how we are doing as a nation when it comes to the freedom to express ourselves. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/ Follow him LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykarabell Follow Zachary on X @zacharykarabell 

It's easy to be pessimistic, especially with headlines dominated by global challenges like a changing geopolitical landscape, the rise in authoritarianism, and a seemingly unstable global economy. But what if, despite all that, humanity is actually making progress?Join Progress Network Founder Zachary Karabell every Wednesday as he chats with leading experts like Ian Bremmer and Anne Marie Slaughter to challenge the negativity and find out whether we should be so pessimistic about everything from sustainability and polarization to the future of work. Plus, start your week right with Progress Network Executive Director Emma Varvaloucas, who delivers a weekly dose of essential good news every Monday. If environmental success stories and medical breakthroughs are your thing, you won’t want to miss it.Tune in to discover the evidence for progress and find your reason for cautious optimism.

What Could Go Right?

All episodes