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.

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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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.