Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Aug 18, 2025

The Great Canadian Betrayal

On The Time of Monsters: Luke Savage on how Mark Carney sold out the Canadian people.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Great Canadian Betrayal | The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

In April, the Liberal Party of Canada, under the leadership of Mark Carney, won an election that heartened opponents of the right-wing. Carney had run on the promise of fighting Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada and also to bolster the Canadian state to deal with issues like affordable housing. But in office, Carney has been delivering something different than his rhetoric suggested: he has been servile to Trump and is promoting austerity. The journalist Luke Savage has written about Carney’s turn-around for both The Baffler and the Toronto Star. I talked to Luke not only about Carney’s policies but also why centrist technocratic liberals are so inept in fighting the far right.  

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes United States President Donald Trump during an arrival ceremony at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes United States President Donald Trump during an arrival ceremony at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025.

(Government of Canada / Anadolu via Getty Images)

In April, the Liberal Party of Canada, under the leadership of Mark Carney, won an election that heartened opponents of the right. Carney had run on the promise of fighting Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada and also to bolster the Canadian state to deal with issues like affordable housing. But in office, Carney has been delivering something different than his rhetoric suggested: he has been servile to Trump and is promoting austerity. The journalist Luke Savage has written about Carney’s turnaround for both The Baffler and The Toronto Star. I talked to Luke not only about Carney’s policies but also why centrist technocratic liberals are so inept in fighting the far right. 

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Iran War Stalemate w/ Trita Parsi / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

The Trump administration has announced a new set of harsh sanctions against Iran. This is a strange development since originally Trump launched a war on Iran on the pretext that sanctions weren’t working. Trita Parsi of the Qunicy Institute argues the current tactic won’t work and is a holding action as both the US and Iran bide their time in a long conflict. Parsi’s writings can be found on his Substack. In the interview, we discuss his column on the surprising way many governments are rooting for Iran to check US imperialism.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after he announced a new set of sanctions against Iran.

The Iran War Stalemate The Iran War Stalemate

The Trump administration has announced a new set of harsh sanctions against Iran. This is a strange development since originally Trump launched a war on Iran on the pretext that sa…

Podcast / The Time of Monsters

North Korea’s Roots in Christianity—With Jonathan Cheng

North Korea’s Roots in Christianity—With Jonathan Cheng North Korea’s Roots in Christianity—With Jonathan Cheng

Jonathan Cheng joins Danny and Derek to explore Christianity’s influence on North Korea’s founding ideology, the Kim family, and its enduring personality cult.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 14, 2026.

Israel’s Escalating Conflict With Turkey Israel’s Escalating Conflict With Turkey

The current conflict in the Middle East might escalate on a new front. In recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjaman Netanyahu has been touting Turkey as a potential threat on p…

Podcast / The Time of Monsters

Phillipines President Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos at the White House with US President Ronald Reagan in 1982.

American Austerity in the Philippines—Lisandro Claudio American Austerity in the Philippines—Lisandro Claudio

Lisandro Claudio joins Danny and Derek to explore how US colonial austerity shaped the Philippines and continues to influence its economy and politics today.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city of Mokha, on August 10, 2026.

The US-Iran Standoff Over Hormus, the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Alliance, a West Bank Community Besieged by Israeli Settlers—and More The US-Iran Standoff Over Hormus, the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Alliance, a West Bank Community Besieged by Israeli Settlers—and More

Danny and Derek unpack the week’s global news, from extreme heat, Iran, and Gaza to Yemen, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Colombia, and shifting regional alliances.

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner

Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori following her inauguration ceremony in Lima on July 28, 2026.

The US-Iran Air War Resumes, the Sudanese Army Secures a Kordofan Highway, Fujimori Takes Office in Peru The US-Iran Air War Resumes, the Sudanese Army Secures a Kordofan Highway, Fujimori Takes Office in Peru

Danny and Derek unpack the week’s global news, from Iran, Gaza, and Yemen to Sudan, Ukraine, China, climate disasters, Latin America, and the International Criminal Court.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

x