A survey of the present American political scene provides, I believe, the background and point of departure for examining more permanent and basic aspects of American institutions and politics that pose enormous obstacles to the realization of principles long associated with traditional conservatism. More specifically the eclipse (some might say the disappearance) of traditional conservatism [...]
People love biographies, and I am regularly asked to recommend good ones during the lead-up to Christmas. One of the most frustrating things about the bookselling business is that there is no necessary correlation between the prominent placement of books at the bookstore, or the review of them in newspapers and magazines, and the enduring [...]
A review of Lord Percy of Newcastle’s, The Heresy of Democracy: A Study in the History of Government (London, 1954). In 1957, Kirk published a list of “must-read” books to understand modern (meaning, as it had developed or been rediscovered in the 1950s) conservatism. His list would not surprise most readers of The Imaginative Conservative, [...]
Are you growing hysterical, buying Christmas presents that you cannot afford in hope of rescuing the economy? (Okay, we didn’t think so). A merry and clever Yuletide video makes the economic point for savings versus Quantitative Easing on a family and national scale, from the creative people who brought us the Keynes and Hayek rap [...]
William Lee Miller’s complementary books, Lincoln’s Virtues and The President: The Duty of a Statesman, are a rare combination of historical investigation and moral reflection presented in comfortable prose filled with real world insight. The Publisher’s Review excerpt from the Amazon site is right on: Margaret Whalen Turner’s Attolia series makes a great gift for those who know nothing can [...]
An amusing citation from Margaret Thatcher reads: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” The socialists, however, were not the only ones who would run out of other people’s money. Democracies are quite capable of duplicating this feat. The question is this: What entitles us to acquire other [...]
The optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist that it is half empty, and the imaginative conservative asks why the glass is twice the size of what it needs to be. He soon discovers that his cup always runneth over. Because the unbought grace of life cannot be purchased, it can be challenging [...]
A number of my fellow travelers have recommended books for Christmas gifts. Here are some ideas for gifts that will enhance the reading experience. Cigars. In the movie Crimson Tide, Gene Hackman’s character, the captain of a nuclear submarine, tells his executive officer (Denzel Washington) not to grow too fond of cigars because “they’re more expensive than drugs.” [...]
The Bad Catholic’s Guide to the Catechism: A Faithful, Fun-Loving Look at Catholic Dogmas, Doctrines, and Schmoctrines by John Zmirak Q: Why call this thing “Bad Catholic”? A: Because if you take your faith seriously, you’re bound to be dissatisfied with how well you’re living it. The kind of people who insist they’re “good Catholics” invariably [...]
J. R. R. Tolkien ’s Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth by Bradley J. Birzer Much has been written of J.R.R. Tolkien’s accomplishment during the past half century, with critics struggling to understand the powerful grip exercised by the English fantasist’s writings upon readers. Some Tolkien-focused criticism has been enlightening, much has been repetitive, and a small [...]
On Irving Kupcinet’s Chicago television program, Malcolm X and this commentator participated in a discussion of public affairs, a few months ago. Now Malcolm X—or Malcolm Little, as he was born—has been murdered before hundreds of people. Revolutions do, indeed, devour their own children. Somewhat to my surprise, I found Malcolm X to be a [...]
According to J. R. R. Tolkien’s son, Christopher, Hugo Dyson (1896-1975) had quite enough, thank you, even though the lesser-known Oxford don was considered the most fun-loving of the Inklings. As another newly-written passage of The Lord of the Rings was read aloud by its author, Dyson was "lying on the couch, and lolling and shouting and saying, [...]
Our friends at ISI have made all of their books available at a 40% discount for this holiday season. All The Imaginative Conservative readers should got to their online bookstore and add these books to your library. Introduce your family and friends to the ideas of Russell Kirk and other conservative thinkers by purchasing extra books to give away as gifts. [...]
This month, fans around the world will flock to the cinema to watch the first of three installments of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit—the “prequel” to the award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy that was also released in three parts between 2001 and 2003 (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released in U.S. theaters Dec. [...]