
Munk Debate on Foreign Wars: opening statements
From The Munk Debates Podcast by Munk Foundation / iHeartRadio
May 25, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
This episode features the opening statements from the Munk Debate on Foreign Wars, discussing U.S. intervention abroad.
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 for the future of global order. The resolution was: Be it resolved, don't go hunting monsters. Arguing against the motion was Mike Pompeo, 70th U.S. Secretary of State, former Director of the CIA, and four-term U.S. Congressman. He was joined by Victoria Nuland, whose 35-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service includes roles as Acting Deputy Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and U.S. Ambassador to NATO. Arguing in favour of the motion were two former Munk Debaters and the world's leading proponents of U.S. foreign policy restraint: John Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt, Professor of International…
People in this episode
Guests: Mike Pompeo, Victoria Nuland, John Mearsheimer, Stephen Walt
Topics covered
- foreign policy
- U.S. intervention
- Middle East
- debate
- global order
Keywords
- foreign wars
- U.S. Secretary of State
- CIA
- debate resolution
- political science
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Munk Foundation, iHeartRadio
Places: Toronto
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