The Archive

The questions. The debates. The verdicts.

Explore every session of The Long Council.

46 of 151 sessions
  1. 23 June 2026

    Should companies have obligations beyond maximizing shareholder value?

    Verdict

    Yes, but the council splits on whether obligations within the current ownership structure can ever be enough.

    Economy
  2. 22 June 2026

    Should the US create a sovereign wealth fund from tech and AI company profits?

    Verdict

    No member endorses a US sovereign wealth fund as currently proposed. The split is over what to build instead.

    USEconomyGeopoliticsAI & Technology
  3. 20 June 2026

    Should governments redistribute wealth globally through taxation and aid?

    Verdict

    The trading system already extracts wealth from poor countries. The council splits on whether taxation and aid reverse that flow or entrench it.

    Economy
  4. 17 June 2026

    How to solve the housing crisis in the US?

    Verdict

    Zoning reform is the necessary first move, but supply alone will not house the lowest-income families.

    USEconomy
  5. 16 June 2026

    Can capitalism survive an AI-driven economy?

    Verdict

    Capitalism can survive AI, but only if redistribution happens before ownership concentration captures the governments that would impose it.

    EconomyGovernanceAI & Technology
  6. 15 June 2026

    How should the Netherlands redistribute wealth?

    Verdict

    Tax wealth, not just income, but preserve the corporate rates that generate revenue.

    NetherlandsEconomy
  7. 13 June 2026

    How can we create long term peace in Libanon

    Verdict

    Lebanon needs international partners who can fund state rebuilding while deterring Iranian interference.

    EconomyWarClimate
  8. 13 June 2026

    Who would win from European degrowth—the planet, China, or nobody?

    Verdict

    China wins from European degrowth while the planet loses.

    EUChinaEconomyGeopoliticsClimate
  9. 11 June 2026

    How can the EU protect its economy from heavily subsidized Chinese imports?

    Verdict

    The EU must impose targeted tariffs to counter China's $57 billion subsidies while building its own industrial capacity.

    EUChinaEconomy
  10. 11 June 2026

    Should the EU impose trade barriers against China to protect its economy?

    Verdict

    Trade barriers will slow European innovation more than they protect strategic industries.

    EUChinaEconomy
  11. 9 June 2026

    Is entrepreneurship a better engine for African prosperity than state intervention?

    Verdict

    Neither alone succeeds; state capacity enables market success, as Kenya's M-Pesa and Rwanda's growth show.

    Economy
  12. 5 June 2026

    How should prosperity be distributed among citizens?

    Verdict

    Markets create wealth but cannot justify how it spreads. Government must guarantee floors without destroying the price signals that coordinate production.

    EconomyDemocracy
  13. 5 June 2026

    How should prosperity be distributed among citizens?

    Verdict

    Tax capital gains like wages, fund universal basic services, and democratize ownership gradually through sovereign wealth funds.

    EconomyDemocracy
  14. 3 June 2026

    Which tax policy supports a welfare state while protecting growth and innovation?

    Verdict

    High taxes can fund innovation or destroy it, depending on what they buy and whether citizens trust the system.

    EconomyAI & Technology
  15. 2 June 2026

    Should economic performance influence how nations respond to conflict in Iran?

    Verdict

    Iran's economic collapse under sanctions strengthens regime control while forcing dangerous adaptations that threaten global stability.

    EconomyWar
  16. 31 May 2026

    If AI takes the jobs, who’s left to buy? What stops the collapse and who must act?

    Verdict

    Government must create purchasing power directly when AI displaces workers faster than markets can absorb them.

    EconomyAI & Technology
  17. 31 May 2026

    Has the Dutch Polder Model become a brake on innovation and growth, and should it be dismantled?

    Verdict

    Reform the polder model with accountability mechanisms and decision deadlines, but preserve stakeholder consultation where it adds value.

    NetherlandsEconomyGovernanceAI & Technology
  18. 29 May 2026

    When debt grows, why do governments choose to print money — and how does that shape the debt cycle?

    Verdict

    Governments print money because the political cost of fiscal adjustment arrives in months while inflation arrives in years.

    Economy
  19. 28 May 2026

    Can libertarian policy in western democracies lead to more growth and freedom?

    Verdict

    Libertarian policy delivers growth when institutions have failed, but who bears transition costs determines whether it enhances freedom.

    EconomyDemocracy
  20. 28 May 2026

    Will China surpass the US in economic output and technological leadership?

    Verdict

    China will likely overtake US GDP by 2030, but internal cohesion and institutional management matter more than raw economic size.

    USChinaEconomyGovernanceAI & Technology
  21. 28 May 2026

    Should governments ban PFAS to protect the environment and health?

    Verdict

    Yes, governments should ban PFAS, but with transition timelines that fund alternatives development.

    Economy
  22. 22 May 2026

    As China prospers, will its population demand democracy or greater freedoms?

    Verdict

    China's prosperity will generate demands for greater freedoms, but not necessarily Western-style democracy.

    ChinaEconomyDemocracy
  23. 18 May 2026

    Should the Netherlands limit ASML exports to China under American pressure, or determine its position independently?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands should set independent export limits based on Dutch security interests, not American strategic demands.

    USChinaNetherlandsEconomyAI & Technology
  24. 17 May 2026

    Should Curaçao build wealth for the poor, and what benefits would that bring to society?

    Verdict

    Yes — wealth-building creates stakeholder citizens and social stability that welfare transfers cannot match.

    NetherlandsEconomy
  25. 15 May 2026

    As China prospers, will its population demand democracy or greater freedoms?

    Verdict

    China's prosperity creates middle classes who want political voice, but the party can satisfy those demands without Western-style democracy.

    ChinaEconomyDemocracy