Readers of The Imaginative Conservative might be interested in a few pieces floating around the internet this morning. Jim Otteson offers—rather naturally—an excellent critique of the new college rankings as decreed by Forbes. His article can be found at Pileus. The New York Times has a fascinating piece on Danish "austerity" measures. The Danish government has [...]
Winston Elliott III Yesterday, on the third floor of a west Houston office building, I had the opportunity—well the blessing, really—of being with some truly wonderful persons, discussing one of my favorite books, Russell Kirk’s Prospects for Conservatives. The roll call of participants: Father Donald Silvio Nesti, John Hittinger, John Rocha, Clint Brand, Bob [...]
“Shut your eyes, reader. Do you hear the thundering of wheels? Those are the Stolypin cars rolling on and on. Those are the red cows rolling. Every minute of the day. And every day of the year. And you can hear the water gurgling—those are prisoners’ barges moving on and on. And the motors of [...]
Dorothy Sayers As I had mentioned in a previous essay, I’m heading to Indianapolis this weekend for a conference on the meaning of liberty and education. One of the finest books I’ve come across in preparation for this colloquium is Liberty Funds on 1973 book, Education in a Free Society. The book concludes [...]
A few days ago, my friend, Craig Brown, asked/wrote in the comments of The Imaginative Conservative: “Placed in its proper context, I know that your argument is really in favor of the republic. Do you really believe that we have abandoned all of our republican virtues? If not what have we held on to? I [...]
Carl Olson just published this at Ignatius Insight. It’s worth reading as we approach the 65th anniversary of the horrific tragedy in Nagasaki. Our military wiped out the only pro-western, Christian city in Japan in August, 1945. Thousands of innocents died. […]
As I prepare for a forthcoming Liberty Fund colloquium, celebrating the venerable institution’s 50th anniversary, I’ve had the honor of reading an article on higher education by Russell Kirk–a piece I had never come across before. Entitled “The Revitalized College: A Model,” Kirk outlined his ideal college. As he always does, beginning with first principles, [...]
History should never have forgotten T.E. Hulme, and we would do well to remember him and what he wrote. Indeed, the German shell that took his life in the early autumn of 1917 might have changed a considerable part of the twentieth century by removing Hulme from it. Our whole “Time of Troubles” as Kirk [...]
How can one look back at the piercing light radiating from Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 and believe we have upheld the gifts of the Founders with any dignity or integrity? Confession of confessions, we simply can’t. The question then becomes, where did it all go wrong? After having spent a week with some [...]
The Washington Post published a series of articles on the–seemingly out of control–growth of Leviathan. While the growth began at the beginning of the previous century with the presidency of TR, it skyrocketed at the beginning of this century under Bush II and continues under King B. Hussein Obama. All of this is being done by [...]
Forgive the scattershot tendencies and directions of this essay. Just lots of short items written quickly from my hotel room in downtown Portland, just blocks from Powells (which I’ve yet to visit). A few book recommendations I’m currently reading Sam Gregg’s new book, Wilhelm Roepke’s Political Economy. Written in a more academic but equally engaging style [...]
I agree completely with Bruce and Barbara that real change will need to come from communities and from talented individuals working within stable and functional communities that support them. This truth, of course, takes us all the way back to Aristotle’s Politics. “Man is, by nature, meant to live in a community.” Should he opt [...]
Winston, again, thanks much for initiating and continuing this conversation. I very much appreciate the quotes from Kirk’s talk, “The Chirping Sectarians,” and I’m assuming you’re in agreement with the arguments presented. More on this in a bit. Barbara, I’m very glad, but not at all surprised, that we are almost entirely in agreement on [...]
Thanks, Winston (and Bruce). A few, random thoughts regarding the current essays. Conservatism, as I see it, can do little in this world of sorrows without allies. An alliance of the humane right—those who oppose the growth of Leviathan, Demos, and Mars at home and abroad—seems nothing short of prudent. Conservatives, libertarians, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, [...]