I watched my first Munk debate on Friday night.
It featured Louise Arbour and Simon Schama proposing the motion ‘Be it resolved, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . .’ Those opposing were Nigel Farage and my favourite Mark Steyn.
It was a debate from 2016 on the mass movement of people across Europe. Arbour and Schama argued that the West should be open to taking most of these people in their thousands. Farage and Steyn said ‘Not so fast.’
It is an incredible debate and well worth a watch. The pre-debate poll had the motion carried by 77 per cent. The post-debate poll saw a swing against the motion, with only 55 per cent in favour, so by Munk rules Farage and Steyn won.
I thought Steyn stood out, but then I would say that. It gets particularly heated halfway through where Steyn strips down to the bone Simon Schama (and the audience) who thought the sexual assault crisis hitting Europe was something to joke about.
In fairness, it is something of a privilege to watch all four of these debaters consider this topic. They are a cut above anything you would see in the mainstream media.
