Nationalism is back, and it’s very angry. Populists have already come to power in numerous countries, and some people even fear that we are seeing a re-run of the 1930s. In the US in particular, job loss is a central issue. But Donald Trump can’t “bring the jobs back”, because most of them never left the country; they just vanished because of automation. 

The anger that drives the populism comes as much from the humiliation that people feel when they are unemployed as from the actual financial pain they are suffering. The main political task for the next generation (post-Trump) will be to ensure that those without work have an income they can live on with dignity. One way that is already being widely considered is a Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Gwynne Dyer returns to the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts on March 6 to lecture on The Populist Revolt — Its Causes and Cure. His talk will take a critical look at the rise of populism in Europe and the US and suggest solutions to issues behind the anger that drives it, including UBI.

Part of SFU Vancouver's 30th Anniversary celebrations, this SFU Vancouver Speaker Series event will be moderated by Charlie Smith, editor of The Georgia Straight, and will be followed by a catered reception.