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CATEGORY: POLITICS (5 MIN)
Republican leadership in Congress was shaken last week when a small segment of GOP representatives led by Matt Gaetz voted with all the Democratic bloc to remove then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz certainly had personal motivations for the move, but McCarthy’s bill avoiding a government shutdown might have also played a part.
In Chronicles, Adam Mill discusses the financial considerations that contributed to McCarthy’s ouster, justifying the move based on the disastrous implications for the budget. Mill writes about the trillions of dollars that the U.S. government will need to pay off bonds that come due soon. The budget, Mill says, racked up even more of a deficit that makes this situation even more dire.
Mill believes Gaetz brought important attention to the prevalence of Congress’s omnibus spending bills which further drive American down the fiscal hole. Mill argues Gaetz also revealed the hidden expenditures in these omnibus bills that go to shady causes like progressive initiatives and foreign labs.
Mill wants the American people and Congress to open their eyes to the potential incoming disaster. Agencies, after all, always try to grow, and those who have money will continue to seek more—unless they are reined in.
Read Mill’s piece here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 10/5/23
Last week, we asked: Who is your favorite Republican presidential candidate after the second debate? Here are the results:
[A] Donald Trump - 19.1%
[B] Ron DeSantis - 39.4%
[C] Tim Scott - 2.1%
[D] Nikki Haley - 23.4%
[E] Vivek Ramaswamy - 5.3%
[F] Chris Christie - 3.2%
[G] Doug Burgum - 1.1%
[H] Mike Pence - 4.3%
[I] Unsure - 2.1%
Should Republicans oppose omnibus spending bills?
[A] Yes
[B] No
[C] Unsure
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CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (20 MIN)
What is the point of an economic system? Businesses are organized (usually) to generate profit, so at least part of the engine of the American capitalist system finds itself in the desire to make money. But there must be more to the broad and complex system that provides so much of the foundation of our nation.
The Imaginative Conservative reprinted a lecture on this topic from Russell Kirk that he included in his book The Politics of Prudence. Kirk discussed Wilhelm Roepke, a German thinker who wrote a book called A Humane Economy. Kirk argues that Roepke correctly orients the purpose of an economic system.
This purpose is not to produce the most money for the nation or to control the country’s business—it instead focuses on a relation to “moral and intellectual ends.” Kirk says Roepke emphasizes giving dignity and property to the average citizen and scaling national economies down to the individual level.
This method especially treasures local and traditional institutions, stability, and ordered freedom. Kirk praises the creation of modesty and contentment in Roepke’s model as opposed to a lack of restraint and excess of vice—a sin which afflicts many wealthy nations.
Discover Kirk’s full lecture right here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
In this episode, Alexandra Hudson joins the podcast to talk about:
- her new book, The Soul of Civility
- how Burke and Locke come together with the “vertical” and “horizontal” social compacts that capture the social and political relations of society
- the difference between politeness and civility, and the limits of politeness in our personal and political life
Texts Mentioned:
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Modern Age Website Launch Party
October 31st, 2023
Join us on October 31st for the launch of Modern Age’s new website at the Cosmos Club.
The event will commence with a warm reception, setting the ambiance for an evening of intellectual engagement and camaraderie.
The highlight of the night will be a riveting debate featuring esteemed voices from the world of journalism and literature, delving deep into topics that resonate with the essence of Modern Age.
As the debate concludes, guests will have the opportunity for post-event networking, allowing for rich discussions, forging new connections, and rekindling old ones. This event is more than a website launch; it’s a celebration of a storied past and a promising digital future.
Join us in Washington, DC >>>
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American Economic Forum
November 1st, 2023
ISI invites you to our 2023 American Economic Forum to hear leading conservative economists, political leaders, and intellectuals discuss how to untangle the American economic crisis. Join us on November 1st at the Catholic University of America for a discussion of the central economic issues that we face today and how to chart a better course for a more prosperous, humane economy.
You’ll hear panels and lectures on a range of important topics such as AI, social capital, immigration and wages, American economic history, and more.
Students can register for this conference FOR FREE. Reserve your seat here!
Join us in Washington, DC >>>
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Stanford Students Promote Terrorism via The Stanford Review
“Soon after I woke up this morning, I texted my father that I was not excited to be a Jew on Stanford’s campus today. Even when typing those words, I had no idea what was coming. This morning at Old Union, one of the most popular gathering places on campus, anonymous students hung up a banner stating, ‘The Israeli occupation is NOTHING BUT AN ILLUSION OF DUST.‘” | This article was quoted in a piece by The Daily Mail.
Student opposition to UMN Law School hosting Amy Coney Barrett via The Minnesota Republic
“On Monday, October 16, 2023, the University of Minnesota Law School will welcome Amy Coney Barrett to the stage at Northrop... In an attempt to uninvite Amy Coney Barrett, some students have gone so far as to sign a petition calling out the University of Minnesota Law School and the Board of Regents. The petition, led by the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), has already collected 354 signatures."
Brick for Stone and Slime for Mortar: U-M’s Disintegrating Architectural Vision via Michigan Review
“Last spring, the University of Michigan released a sketch of the new Central Campus Recreation Building (CCRB), currently under construction... The university has clearly abandoned a consistent architectural vision. Instead of cultivating an inspiring and historic campus, it is doubling down on hideous vanity projects.”
The Bureaucratic Quashing of Free Speech via The W&L Spectator
[Washington and Lee University’s upcoming] talk will feature Carol Swain and Marc Lamont Hill, the first a conservative, the second a liberal, both black, in a discussion about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives... The University — seemingly out of thin air — invoked a rule which effectively blocked the event from being held in Lee Chapel, National Historic Landmark.“
Jamelle Bouie emphasizes substance in press coverage of politics via Cornell Review
“As part of the Freedom of Expression year, guest speaker Jamelle Bouie spoke on ‘Constitutionalism, Reform and the Press’ Role in Helping the Public Think About Institutions.‘” |
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (8 MIN)
Traditionally, conservatives have held a view that government should remain limited, at least in some respects. But many gaps appear in our society, so some might ask why the government shouldn’t step in to fill a few of them. The answer, like it was for Russell Kirk, might be local.
For this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive, Patrick M. Garry writes on the non-governmental institutions that are vital to the flourishing of a free society. Garry lists families, schools, churches, and more local organizations that make up the building blocks of successful nations. If they’re healthy, Garry argues, the country prospers.
But if these local groups weaken, such as they may be doing in America today, Garry says the government will step in to fill the gap. And now, Garry believes people are suffering because of it—especially the less fortunate.
“Government spending cannot provide the poor with the social and cultural support systems that flourished generations ago,” Garry declares. “It cannot provide the social capital they need to improve their lives.”
Garry believes social virtues must be transmitted to the needy, and the government just can’t do that.
Read his thoughtful article here.
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Thought of the Day:
“Totalitarianism gains ground exactly to the extent that the human victims of this process of [social] disintegration suffer from frustration and non-fulfillment of their life as a whole because they have lost the true, pre-eminently non-material conditions of human happiness.”
- Wilhelm Röpke
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Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
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