Politicon - An Event to Reshape Youth's Political Culture
Have you ever heard a friend or a relative, say one of these phrases: "I don't really care about politics", "Politics is not for me" or "Why vote when my vote doesn't count?"
If yes, then you might want to consider attending Politicon, a yearly event where politics is being debated through the lens of popular figures, such as Ben Shapiro from the DailyWire, the Young Turk's founder Cenk Uygur, the Blaze's Tomi Lahren, Ann Coulter, CNN's Jake Tapper, Turning Point USA's founder Charlie Kirk, and many others.
Politicon draws people from all states with different political opinions and creates an atmosphere where guests do their best to bridge political differences to keep the attendees' mind on their toes. Despite being only 3 years old, the event has proven to be successful in drawing big audiences, considering the fact it is not affiliated to any party or political movement.
"Politicon was an interesting drawing together of people from many backgrounds,” according to Newt Gingrich, an American Republican-politician, former House Speaker, and author from the state of Georgia, “It could grow into a really creative experience beyond left and right," while Vanity Fair calls it “a political theater meeting nerd culture.”
This speaks volume about the event's intent at bridging people and encouraging political discourse through figures that have become related to pop-culture rather than going through political figures. Its disassociation with parties and political movements could be a contributor to its success.
This healthy dose of politics seems to have worked well and perhaps these types of events can spark a reduction in apathy. Needless to say, given the rise of political correctness and self-censorship, Politicon provides a platform for individuals to debate ideas, without resorting to confrontational violence.
It is too early to measure the relationship between attendance and political activity, but chances are, that by attending and being exposed to the opposite view, the bridge between polarized individuals could potentially grow smaller.