The Munk Debates Podcast

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, we’re revisiting one of the classic debates from the series’ 18-year history: the Munk Debate on Religion, held in 2010 before a sold-out crowd of 3,000 at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.

The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world.

Arguing for the motion former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had recently converted to Catholicism.

Arguing against the resolution was the late Christopher Hitchens, an avowed atheist and the author of numerous bestsellers including God Is Not Great.

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Rudyard and Andrew unpack a consequential week in the Canada-U.S. trade war, from Trump’s increasingly erratic and provocative behaviour—including the absurd renaming of Lake Ontario—to his apparent preference for perpetual conflict over a lasting trade peace. Andrew believes Canada needs to diversify trade and reduce its vulnerability to U.S. pressure and manipulation. Will Trump’s approach alienate his Republican base ahead of the midterms? How are Canadian politicians capitalizing on the moment? And how much economic pain is Canada prepared to absorb? Andrew is optimistic that Canada is ready to hunker down for a long fight, potentially longer than Americans are prepared for.
Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rudyard and Andrew react to the intensifying Canada-U.S. trade war. Trump is threatening additional tariffs starting January 1, and it’s increasingly clear he was intent on escalating regardless of whether or not Carney walked away from the deal. Carney is putting his Davos message into action: middle powers need to free themselves from the grip of hegemons. It was the right call, with broad agreement in Canada that we cannot allow Trump to bully us into submission. There will be costs, but the cost of staying at the table may have been greater.

Should Canada pursue retaliatory tariffs? Will other countries being targeted by Trump follow Canada’s lead? And finally, can Canada use the upcoming U.S. midterms to pressure Trump into a better deal?
Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up.
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Rudyard and Andrew unpack leaks from ongoing U.S.-Canada trade talks, which are focused only on the immediate threat of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods rather than negotiating a long-term deal. Even if Canada averts some of these tariffs, CUSMA negotiations lie ahead—and the leaks suggest we may not get full tariff relief on the issues that matter most, including steel, autos, software and lumber, while facing additional concessions on dairy supply management and digital policy.

How are these concessions consistent with Carney’s “elbows up” message? Andrew argues that trying to appease Trump risks feeding his appetite for further concessions. This isn’t a negotiation; it’s extortion. If the Trump administration continues to approach trade this way, Canada needs to mitigate this ongoing threat by becoming a more competitive market and diversifying trade.
Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast we are sharing the full Munk Debate on anti-Zionism, which took place in June 2024 in front of a sold out crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.

The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, anti-Zionism is antisemitism

Arguing for the motion was award winning journalist, best-selling author, and former Munk Debater Douglas Murray. His debate partner was Natasha Hausdorff. She’s an attorney, international law expert, and legal director for the UK Lawyer for Israel Charitable Trust.

Opposing the resolution was Mehdi Hasan. Mehdi is a best-selling author, former NS Now anchor, and the CEO and editor-in-chief of the media company Zeteo. He was joined on stage by the award winning Israeli journalist and Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy.

Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.