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Counterpoint

Foreign Policy

Every day, experts from around the globe present their arguments for solving the world’s biggest problems. And every day, these experts disagree in small and large ways. At Foreign Policy, our approach is to share a wide range of opinions, side by side, day by day. But what if people could hear those arguments tested in real time, under pressure from an opposing view—by an international cast of diplomats, journalists, academics, and activists?


That’s the idea behind Counterpoint, FP’s debate-style podcast. Each episode pits two experts on opposing sides of one key question. Should the United Kingdom rejoin the European Union? Are tariffs the right approach? Is Western aid helping or harming Africa? Some say yes, some say no, and the path forward might just be in the in-between.


Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 35 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • Oct 29, 2024 · 38 min

    Can South Africa Be a Moral Example to the World?

    For many years, South Africa was seen as a poster child for peaceful reconciliation and the triumph of good over evil. The “Rainbow Nation” image brought tourism, international investment, and major global events such as the 2010 World Cup. But beneath the glitz, there was a darker side: grinding poverty, widespread corruption, violent xenophobia, and close ties with authoritarian regimes. These days, South Africa seems intent on restoring its international image as a moral superpower. FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Sisonke Msimang, the author of Always Another Country and The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela, and Tony Leon, the former head of the Democratic Alliance and leader of South Africa’s official opposition in Parliament from 1999 to 2007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • S4 · E3
    Oct 22, 2024 · 37 min

    Should the West Pressure Ukraine to Negotiate an End to the War?

    In the past few months, the war in Ukraine has taken some dramatic turns. Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russian territory, seizing chunks of Kursk province and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin. Russia retaliated with a number of devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and military facilities and continued to seize more territory in Donetsk. Rather than moving toward a negotiated settlement, the war seems to be escalating. FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and an assistant professor at Georgetown University, and Rajan Menon, the director of the grand strategy program at Defense Priorities and a senior research scholar at Columbia University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • S4 · E2
    Oct 15, 2024 · 40 min

    Should Israel and the United States Attack Iran’s Nuclear Program Now?

    On the night of Oct. 1, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel. It was the latest in a deadly tit for tat between the two countries. The regionwide war that the Biden administration doesn’t want now seems to be happening. And for that reason, the idea of taking out Iran’s nuclear program with military strikes seems less theoretical and more like a real possibility. Foreign Policy deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Matt Kroenig, the vice president of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and a professor of government at Georgetown University, and Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes