山姆大叔Tony

Intelligence Squared是国外的高端辩论节目，嘉宾上至参议员，副总统，下至公益活动者，明星等等。原汁原味的英语辩论，来自各种英语国家的语音，在challenging听力的同时，让我们一起来学一学老外是怎么吵架的
时长大约四十多分钟，流量不够的童鞋推荐用WIFI环境下，插上耳机慢慢听。我个人比较喜欢睡前和早起的时候听，让自己安静下来感受一下。


Is America in decline? Or an unparalleled leader on the global stage? Is the nation coping well with the challenges of the 21st century — from health care and education to the threat of terrorism — or is it falling behind other world powers?



Some argue that, while other developed nations have watched their share of global GDP shrink, the United States has remained an economic powerhouse. The U.S. military is unrivaled, they add, the world's top universities are American and the nation remains a leader in technological innovation.

Those who fear America is in decline, however, argue that the U.S. has exercised little leadership on global issues like climate change or conflict in Europe. Political gridlock in Washington, they add, is at unprecedented levels and contributing to America's failure to lead. And income inequality, they say, has hobbled opportunity for the middle class.

In the 100th debate from Intelligence Squared U.S., two teams — each made up of one American and one foreign national — faced off on the motion, "Declinists Be Damned: Bet On America."

Before the debate, 49 percent of the audience at the Kaufman Music Center in New York voted in favor of the motion, "Declinists Be Damned: Bet On America."

Twenty-three percent were against the motion and 28 percent were undecided. After the event, 64 percent were in favor and 27 percent opposed, making the team arguing for the motion the winners of this debate.