The Munk Debates Podcast

This special episode features the full Munk Debate on Capitalism, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall in November 2019.

The debate resolution was: Be it Resolved the capitalist system is broken, it's time to try something different

Arguing in favour of the resolution was Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of The Nation and a Washington Post columnist. Her debate partner was the economist, academic...

What should we make of this week's NATO summit in Ankara? If it doesn't end with the U.S. withdrawing from NATO, should it be considered a success?

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran resumed strikes just weeks after signing a memorandum of understanding. Andrew argues that Trump was warned about the risks of cutting a deal with Iran. The ceasefire is unraveling because there was never a real agreement—it merely bought a few week...

This special episode features the full Munk Debate on the Two-State Solution, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Meridian Hall in December 2025.

The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, it is in Israel’s interest to support a two-state solution

Arguing in favour of the resolution was former Israeli prime minister, finance minister, and mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert. His debate partner was Tzipi Livni,...

What would America's Founding Fathers make of the state of U.S. politics as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence? The constitutional rules they established to guide the republic and safeguard it against monarchical or dictatorial rule are being tested by President Trump, whose conduct has exposed potential weaknesses in the system. Andrew argues that America's checks and balances ultimately depend on ever...

Programming note: Friday Focus will be taking a summer break. We will be back with new episodes starting September 11 (and, of course, if any serious news breaks over the summer!).

Janice and Rudyard begin by unpacking an IRGC attack on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, exposing a fundamental divide between Washington and Tehran over freedom of navigation. While the U.S. insists on open access without fees or r...

Iranians appear to be enjoying maximum leverage over the Trump administration. The argument goes that Trump had to act as he did to avoid severe risks to the global economy—an outcome that raises questions about the limits of his “master dealmaker” image.

Why is JD Vance positioning himself as the deal’s chief cheerleader, exposing himself to sustained political scrutiny? And how are figures like Xi Jinpi...

Janice and Rudyard unpack another wild week in global affairs, beginning with news of heavy Israeli strikes overnight on Hezbollah in Lebanon in response to attacks on Israeli troops. Although both sides have agreed to another ceasefire, these skirmishes could jeopardize the fragile memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S., potentially giving Tehran leverage over Israel by threatening to walk away from the deal.

How...

Janice and Rudyard unpack the latest details of the emerging memorandum of understanding between Iran and Israel, examining its proposed $300 billion financing package and the sweeping rollback of sanctions on Iran's oil and financial sectors. They question the agreement's lack of concrete timelines and verification mechanisms—particularly around nuclear inspections—and argue that looming energy pressures helped drive b...

This is now the 38th time President Trump has proclaimed a “great deal” with Iran. Is this one finally real? And if so, does it vindicate his strategy of escalating tensions to force Tehran back to the negotiating table?

Based on the details leaked so far, the proposed agreement amounts to a 60-day ceasefire designed to create space for further negotiations. Yet the benefits for Iran appear to come first: sanctions r...

Recent economic data suggests Canada is in a technical recession. Andrew argues that while political parties continue to sell the fiction that governments can deliver short-term economic growth, economists largely agree that growth is driven by deeper, longer-term forces. The bigger problem is that neither party has a serious plan to boost productivity and investment. High taxes, burdensome regulation, and growing market concentrat...

Iran and the U.S. remain locked in a dangerous standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that could drag on for weeks. How does this end? What pressure points could force either side to negotiate in good faith? Meanwhile, Iran continues to strike American allies across the region without a meaningful U.S. military response. What message does that send about the credibility of America's security guarantees?

In the second half of the sho...

We may be on the cusp of a deal between Iran and the U.S., as both sides appear to be losing interest in keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. But is this merely a ceasefire extension, with Iran’s nuclear program deferred to future negotiations?

If Iran ultimately gives up its enriched uranium, it will be seen as a win for Trump — but at a steep cost: Iran will have demonstrated that control over the Strait of Hormuz ...

On this special podcast episode, we are sharing the opening statements from the Munk Debate on Foreign Wars, which took place this past Wednesday May 20th in front of a packed crowd at Toronto's Meridian Hall.

Against the backdrop of America's war with Iran — and after nearly three decades of disastrous Middle East interventions — the debate asked whether the U.S. should continue intervening abroad, and what that means ...

Munk Debates Chair Rudyard Griffiths and Managing Director Ricki Gurwitz pull back the curtain on how they chose the four debaters who took the stage on Wednesday night — and preview the blockbuster debates already in the works for the fall.

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.

Another strange ping-pong week in America's conflict with Iran — and irresponsible reporting has given us so many mixed messages. Are we any closer to a deal? And why is Iran so hung up on the issue of nuclear weapons? Also off the negotiating table — much to the dismay of Israel — is one of Washington's original war aims: ending Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for terror proxies in the region.

Me...

Tickets to our May 20th Munk Debate on Foreign Wars taking place in Toronto and featuring Mike Pompeo, Victoria Nuland, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, are almost sold out. Visit https://munkdebates.com/debates/foreign-wars-debate/ to purchase tickets.

Rudyard and Janice start today's show by taking stock of how intolerable the situation in the Middle East is becoming. Iran is asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz, while s...

As the Strait of Hormuz grinds to a halt, gas prices soar, and inflation threatens to spike, Trump arrives at his meeting with Xi Jinping looking wounded and weak. He will be looking for help from China's dictator, but help never comes for free. What will he concede to Xi?

In the second half of the show, Rudyard and Janice turn to a major new government appointment in Canada: Louise Arbour as our new Governor General. Andrew argues...

Tickets to our May 20th Munk Debate on Foreign Wars taking place in Toronto and featuring Mike Pompeo, Victoria Nuland, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, are now on sale. Visit https://munkdebates.com/debates/foreign-wars-debate/ to purchase tickets.

Trump's pause on escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz has less to do with pressure from Iran and more to do with pressure from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile the U.S. has not done a...

The U.S. edges back toward war with Iran just as food and gas prices are poised to surge. Could there be a role for China to play in getting Iran and the U.S. back to the negotiating table? Meanwhile Ukraine is quickly becoming a formidable military power due to battlefield resolve and technological innovation. Is it time for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO? Andrew argues that here the gains are bigger than the risks. In the second ...