Counterpoint

With the U.S. midterm elections just days away, Democrats are debating what their party should stand for, not just at home, but abroad. In 2021 President Biden promised to restore American leadership through diplomacy, but his administration’s foreign policy has faced criticism, particularly over its handling of Israel’s war in Gaza. Now, as the party looks to the future, does it need more restrained foreign policy or is a traditional approach to American leadership and military power still essential?

Welcome to Counterpoint, where we look at one big question facing world leaders from opposing points of view.

In our previous episode we debated the foreign policy of the Republican party. Now in our final episode of the season, we turn to the Democrats.

We’re asking: Should the future of Democratic foreign policy be more progressive?

Joining us is Ambassador Wendy Sherman, who served as Deputy Secretary of State under President Joe Biden and led U.S. negotiations for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

And Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, who has represented California’s 51st congressional district since 2021 and serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees.

Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.

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Republicans have argued for decades that U.S. military power is essential to keeping the world safe. But as the war with Iran continues to raise questions about overseas intervention, divisions are growing within the party over when the country should use its military strength and when it should hold back.

Welcome to Counterpoint, where we look at one big question facing world leaders from opposing points of view.

In this episode, we’re asking: Should the future of Republican foreign policy be more restrained?

Arguing in favor is Justin Logan, the director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, who advocates a more restrained approach to U.S. foreign policy.

Arguing against is James Jeffrey, a former deputy national security advisor under President George W. Bush and former U.S. ambassador who is currently a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.
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Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to put America first and reshape the world through his deal-making instincts. From the war in Iran to tensions with traditional allies, his approach has challenged long-standing assumptions about the United States’ role in the world.

Supporters say that he is securing better deals for the country, while critics contend that his tactics risk undermining the alliances and international standing that have made the United States a global superpower.

Welcome to Counterpoint, where we look at one big question facing world leaders from opposing points of view.

In this episode, we’re asking: Has Trump’s diplomacy taken the United States forward?

Arguing in favor is Victoria Coates, a former deputy national security advisor to Trump during his first term. She is currently vice president at the Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy.

Arguing against is Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he has served on since 2010.

Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.
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Artificial intelligence continues to advance at a remarkable pace, raising big questions about the future of humanity. Leading figures warn that increasingly powerful AI systems could one day escape our control, but peers argue that line of thinking is just speculative fearmongering.

Welcome to Counterpoint, where we look at one big question facing world leaders from opposing points of view.

In this episode, we’re asking: Could AI destroy the world?

Arguing in favor is Stuart Russell, who has been referred to as the “godfather of AI” and whose foundational textbook, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, is used in universities around the world. He’s currently a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.

And arguing against is Jürgen Schmidhuber, who has been referred to as the “father of modern AI” for his breakthroughs in the technology. He is currently a co-chair of the Center of Excellence for Generative AI at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.
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It’s been six years since the Abraham Accords were signed, and like so much in the Middle East, their impact and future are very much an open question. The agreements were originally aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states. But analysts debate whether they have strengthened regional cooperation and security or contributed to greater instability in the Middle East.

Welcome to Counterpoint, where we take one big question facing world leaders and look at it from opposing points of view.

In this episode, we’re asking: Has the Middle East Benefited from the Abraham Accords?

Arguing in favor is Steven A. Cook⁠, a senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist at Foreign Policy.

Arguing against is Matt Duss⁠, the executive vice president at the Center for International Policy and a former foreign-policy advisor to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. He recently co-authored the piece⁠ “How the Abraham Accords Fueled a New Era of Conflict”⁠ with Zuri Linetsky.

Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.
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