The Fight for Democracy Thomas Frank
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Acclaimed political commentator Thomas Frank argues that populism is not the problem of our times, but the solution.
Donald Trump. Brexit. European right-wing extremists. All have been accused of populism. But what does this often thrown about, yet generally misunderstood, term actually mean?
The real story of populism is an account of enlightenment and liberation; the story of democracy itself, of its promise of a decent life for us all.
In this event, Thomas Frank takes us from the emergence of the radical left-wing US Populist Party in the 1890s to the present day, reminding us how much we owe to the populist ethos. He revisits the movement’s provocative politics, and explains why true populism is the language of promise and optimism.
Watch Thomas Frank’s talk on YouTube
Thomas Frank is the author of Pity the Billionaire, The Wrecking Crew, What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Listen, Liberal. His latest book is People without Power: The War on Populism and the Fight for Democracy. A former columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Harper’s, he is the founding editor of The Baffler. Follow him on Twitter @thomasfrank_