The Munk Debates, Canada’s preeminent forum for leading thinkers to discuss the pressing issues of our time, recently announced the resolution for the 23rd semi-annual event, to be held in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 2 and to be broadcast live, for free, at  Lincoln Theater. The Autumn 2018 Munk Debate will move the motion: Be it resolved, the future of western politics is populist not liberal.

Throughout the Western world, politics is undergoing a sea-change. Long-held notions of the role of government, trade and economic policy, foreign policy and immigration are being successfully challenged by populist-oriented thinkers and movements.

Does this surging populist agenda in Western nations signal a permanent shift in our politics? Or, is it passing phenomenon that will remain at the fringes of society and political power? In short, will our politics we be shaped by the liberal consensus on trade, national identity and global affairs or by insurgent populist politics, parties and leaders?

Arguing for the resolution will be Stephen K. Bannon, former chief strategist for Donald J. Trump and one of the world’s most well-known populist thinkers and campaigners. Bannon emerged on the public scene in 2016 as the Executive Chairman of the conservative website Breitbart, helping shape many of the populist policies that delivered Trump to the U.S. Presidency, and went on to hold various senior roles in the White House. He is a former Naval officer, Goldman Sachs M&A banker, and graduate of Harvard Business School.

Speaking against the resolution will be David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic and former speechwriter for George W. Bush. From 2014-2017 he chaired the board of trustees of Policy Exchange, the United Kingdom’s leading center-right think tank. His most recent book, Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic, was a New York Times bestseller. He has been a vocal opponent of President Trump and the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe.

Rudyard Griffiths, director and moderator of the Munk Debates, says: “Just four days before the 2018 U.S. midterm elections we will be convening the debate on future of populism with two outstanding protagonists. Presented as a one-on-one contest, Bannon versus Frum promises to be one of most intense debates in the history of the series.”

The Munk Debate on Populism will take place at 6:45 p.m. EDT. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. at the theater for this thought-provoking evening.  All are welcome to attend. 

Lincoln Theater, located at 2 Theater Street in downtown Damariscotta, is pleased to be embarking on this new partnership with the Munk Debates.