Julian Casablancas Is Coming to Hamilton to Talk Fascism

The Strokes frontman will discuss "the looming threat of fascist politics" with Henry Giroux

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Oct 18, 2019

Back in 2016, Julian Casablancas took a trip to Hamilton to discuss government corruption, democracy and more with scholar and cultural critic Henry Giroux. Three years on from their Rolling Stone interview, the pair will now have a conversation about fascism at a McMaster University speaking event next week.

The two will discuss "The Looming Threat of Fascist Politics" at Hamilton's Westdale Theatre on October 24. The free event follows the July release of Giroux's new book The Terror of the Unforeseen, which features an introduction penned by the Strokes frontman.

An event abstract gives a look at what Casablancas and Giroux will focus on during the evening's discussion:

The discussion will focus on what they call the resurgence of fascist politics in the age of Donald Trump's presidency, including the underlying causes that have produced the reactionary white nationalist regime of Trump, and how the language of hate, nativism, and racism coupled with an attack on dissent, equality, and the social contract has produced a culture of fear, ultra-nationalism, white supremacy, state terrorism, and a politics of disposability.

They will also argue that in this "age of disposability" and white supremacy, Trump's rhetoric eschews reason and democratic principles in favour of fascist politics that is at war with any viable notion of democracy. They will argue that it is crucial to make education central to politics, and that in a time of increasing tyranny it is necessary through protests, strikes, and education to develop a massive social movement that joins together various modes of resistance to illuminate and further a systemic fight for a radical democracy.


The event will also feature a book signing following the discussion. Further details can be found here.

This past September, Casablancas's Strokes bandmate Nick Valensi hinted that new material wasn't far away. Their last full-length album was 2013's Comedown Machine, which they followed up with an EP titled Future Present Past in 2016.

Revisit Casablancas's 2016 interview with Giroux below.

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