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CATEGORY: INTERNATIONAL (6 MIN)
Few issues have divided the American public as strongly as the prospect of continued aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. Republican candidates hold wildly different views on Ukraine, and frontrunner Donald Trump has been vocal about his opposition to intervention. But no matter the American position, a fight continues abroad, and other, much nearer countries consider their own positions.
Timothy Garton Ash, a British professor and author, argues that Europe’s Western powers must enter the fray to aid Ukraine. Writing in Spectator World, Ash tells the story of his recent visit to Ukraine and juxtaposes it with his previous weeks in the United States. With the American public torn on support (and the new Israeli crisis capturing U.S. attention), Ash puts the onus on his home country, on France, and on Germany.
Ash especially berates Germany for its reticence to send military equipment. He then discusses these countries’ economic and social situations too, urging European nations to better sell the idea of aid to their own citizens. If the help succeeds, Ash says, Europe could reap the benefits of an economically strong Ukraine, avoid American strife, and avert future conflicts along the Russian border.
Read Ash’s argument for European intervention here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 10/19/23
Last week, we asked: Are moral citizens required for a nation to be successful? Here are the results:
[A] Yes - 98.8%
[B] No - 1.2%
[C] Unsure - 0%
Should European nations play a greater role in sending aid to Ukraine?
[A] Yes
[B] No
[C] Unsure
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CATEGORY: ECONOMY (6 MIN)
Young adults looking to purchase their first home have been mourning their inability to do so, citing the gap between rising housing prices and wages. But wages have not been constantly falling—in fact, they’ve largely risen over the balance of the 20th and 21st centuries. This sounds like a phenomenon with positive impacts on our nation, but some economists say it’s had a negative effect on American culture.
In City Journal, Matt Darling discusses this concern. Darling writes about the two-income household and its potentially harmful impact on the development of children and overall mental health in the middle class. If both parents are working, stress may increase; Darling notes that many middle-class families long for the old days of the single-income household, blaming high prices and low wages for the change.
But Darling cites recent research by Nobel Prize winner Claudia Goldin which pushes back on this narrative. Goldin’s work argues that high wages actually encourage more women to enter the workforce to gain more income. She suggests families, in order to keep up with one another’s lifestyles, tried to earn more. In doing so, they make a value judgment with real costs, Darling writes.
Discover Darling’s analysis of Goldin’s work here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
In this episode, Sam Hammond, senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, joins the podcast to talk about:
- artificial intelligence and its transformative aspects on modern society
- what AI offers human society to advance our economy and our society, and the potential dangers of AI run amok
- what AI and super-intelligent machines that match or exceed human cognition will mean for human nature and what it means to be a human being
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.
Rickford takes leave of absence via Cornell Review
“History Professor Russell Rickford, who has come under fire for calling the Hamas attacks in Israel ‘exhilarating’ and ‘energizing,’ has taken a leave of absence... Rickford’s leave comes amidst a petition demanding his termination that has attracted almost 11,000 signatures on change.org.”
This article has been referenced by National Review, The New York Post, The Daily Mail, The College Fix, and The Washington Free Beacon.
Wake Professor Who Justified Terrorism in Israel Says the Administration “Threw Her to the Wolves” via The Wake Report
“Professor Laura Mullen, Kenan Chair of the Humanities, English & Creative Writing at Wake Forest, took to X (Twitter) to write, ‘So it’s kind of a Duh but if you turn me out of my house plow my olive groves under and confine what’s left of my family to the small impoverished state you run as an open air prison I could be tempted to shoot up your dance party yeah even knowing you will scorch the earth.’ Although the University stood by Mullen’s comments as an expression of free speech and did not relieve her from her position, Mullen is deeply unhappy with the way she was treated by the administration.”
This article was picked up by Campus Reform on Monday.
UChicago Staff and Students Vandalize Pro-Life Chalk Messages and Signs on Campus via The Chicago Thinker
“On October 17, University of Chicago students and staff smudged chalk, plucked flags, and stole signs in response to a campus pro-life display. Some students also anonymously encouraged physical battery against their pro-life peers on the messaging platform Sidechat.”
The Live Free Tour Comes to San Antonio via The Tower
“[Charlie] Kirk, as well as fellow conservative activist Candace Owens, have been traveling college campuses all over the country to inspire students to be independent thinkers. Their ‘Live Free Tour’ is a rallying cry for the revival of conservative values in Gen Z, as well as an opportunity for those with opposing viewpoints to learn more about the cause.“
The Stanford Review’s article earlier this month about anti-Israel messages on campus was recently referenced in an article by The New York Post. |
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CATEGORY: INTERNATIONAL (9 MIN)
The constant debate over Ukraine in the GOP stems from an underlying clash over the best conservative position on international intervention. Some conservatives believe promotion of American values abroad creates a greater good, while others argue intervention generally has a negative effect on U.S. citizens at home.
In the spirit of this continuing discussion, this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive features a book review by Michael P. Federici. Federici analyzes Democracy and Imperialism: Irving Babbitt and Warlike Democracies, a 2019 book by William S. Smith. Federici characterizes Smith’s work as contrasting democracy and imperialism as alternatives in conflict with one another.
As Federici recounts, Smith uses the thoughts of Prof. Irving Babbitt, who believed peace requires substantial groundwork, to argue that modern America fails to lay that groundwork in foreign or domestic affairs. The result is imperialism, which tends to pull away from democratic ideals.
Federici also addresses potential responses to Smith’s contentions. He sees Smith’s argument not as one of isolationism but instead as one of self-restraint. This stands in opposition to a belief in “romantic fictions” which lead to “far more harm than good.”
Read Federici’s entire review right here.
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Thought of the Day:
“Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.”
- Thomas Jefferson
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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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