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CATEGORY: IMMIGRATION (17 MIN)
It’s easy to forget in 2024 just how quickly the political landscape has shifted in the past few decades. Americans’ opinions on gay marriage, on the military, and on transgenderism have completely changed in a short amount of time. Another issue falling into this category is immigration. In 1994, 62% of Democrats called immigrants a “burden” on the U.S. due to jobs and healthcare; by 2019, that number had crashed to 11%.
Writing in Tablet, Michael Lind describes what he sees as the reason for that shift and for the Biden administration’s lax policies on illegal immigration. Lind argues that Democrats have become pro-immigration because they need more voters to support their otherwise unpalatable policy positions.
To support his position, Lind points to other demographic shifts in the American voter base. College-educated and higher-class Americans have become more Democratic, but Lind says that change wouldn’t explain the number of votes Democrats receive today. After all, according to Lind, they’ve lost the vote of less-educated white voters in huge swaths, they’ve lost white Catholics, and they’ve lost the South.
Now, Lind believes the urban ruling class and the incoming immigrant voters have combined to create an ever-growing bloc. And if Hispanic immigrants flow toward the right, he predicts, the left may have to bring in voters from elsewhere.
Read Lind’s entire piece here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 1/25/24
Last week, we asked: Do you think American cities should increase police presence? Here are the results:
[A] Yes - 94%
[B] No - 4.5%
[C] Unsure - 1.5%
Do you think the U.S. should restrict both illegal and legal immigration?
[A] Yes
[B] No, only restrict illegal immigration
[C] Unsure/Other
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (6 MIN)
Elon Musk rose to prominence over the past few years not just for his well-known Twitter takeover but also for his views on birth rates and population decline. And although the U.S. certainly has signs of a dwindling number of new children, the effects of fewer babies can still be most clearly seen in other places around the world: the Far East and Western Europe.
Darel E. Paul, in Compact, highlights these effects by taking a look at one country in particular: Sweden. Paul notes that many had trumpeted Sweden as a progressive utopia where government-provided childcare allowed women to work at extremely high rates and where many men stayed home. He recounts some scholars’ prediction that fertility rates and family stability could remain high in such a place.
The reality, Paul argues, is not so rosy. He cites the latest Swedish statistics for 2023, which reveal birth rates and fertility rates at depressing lows across the board. Even women who postponed childbirth into their mid-30s, Paul says, are beginning to have fewer and fewer children. Likewise, both marriage and long-term cohabitation in Sweden have collapsed.
Paul believes these trends are disturbing, calling a country’s lack of children “the failure of the most basic of social functions.” Do you agree? Read his full article right here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
In this episode, Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering join the podcast to discuss:
- their “Theology of Home” project, focusing on a material and spiritual culture of beauty in ordinary home life
Texts Mentioned:
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Daring Greatly: Forming America's Next Great Statesman
February 2nd, 2024
The Heritage Foundation is proud to host the launch of the insightful new book, Gateway to Statesmanship: Selections from Xenophon to Churchill by Johnny Burtka, on February 2, 2024, at 11:00 AM. This event features a dynamic panel discussion with distinguished speakers Larry Arnn and Elbridge Colby, delving into the rich tapestry of statesmanship across history and its relevance today.
In this panel discussion, Johnny Burtka, Larry Arnn, and Elbridge Colby will explore how the study of statesmanship extends beyond the realms of politics into the broader scope of human thought and action. They will discuss how the classics teach us about the difficult choices that shape lives and character, providing insight into how these teachings are vital today.
Join us in Washington, DC >>>
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41st Annual Viennese Waltz Ball
February 17th, 2024
Join ISI on Saturday, February 17th, at The Organization of American States for the 41st Annual Evening of Viennese Waltzing.
It will be a night of silk top hats, furs, dance cards, champagne, and flaming crepes as more than 200 couples recreate the sumptuous balls of turn-of-the-century Vienna.
Join us in Washington, DC >>>
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Gateway to Statesmanship Book Launch with Johnny Burtka
February 22nd, 2024
Join us for an enlightening evening at the Linda L. Bean Center as we celebrate the launch of the much-anticipated book, Gateway to Statesmanship: Selections from Xenophon to Churchill. This event starts at 6:00 PM with a welcoming reception, offering a chance to mingle, enjoy refreshments, and prepare for an evening of intellectual discussion.
As the reception winds down, we transition into a compelling panel discussion featuring Enrique Pallares and Joseph Prud’homme, renowned for their deep insights into political and philosophical thought. This discussion will delve into the book’s exploration of statesmanship, not just as a political art but as a comprehensive study of human thought and action.
Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>
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Conservative Book of the Year Award Ceremony and Reception
March 15th, 2024
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute proudly announces Chris Rufo as the winner of the 2024 Conservative Book of the Year Award for his exceptional work, America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. This book stands as a beacon of insightful analysis and thought-provoking commentary in today’s dynamic cultural landscape.
Join us for an evening of recognition and celebration at the prestigious National Press Club on Friday, March 15, as we honor the Conservative Book of the Year. The ceremony will commence at 6 PM, starting with a cocktail hour from 6:00 – 7:00 PM that offers attendees a chance to mingle and discuss the thought-provoking works of our finalists. The award ceremony and acceptance speech will follow from 7:00 – 8:00 PM.
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.
EXCLUSIVE: Stanford Jewish “Safe Housing” Vandalized With Pro-Palestine Graffiti, No Stanford Response via The Stanford Review
“Between the night of November 9th and the morning of November 10th, a Jewish student’s residence in University safe housing was vandalized with graffiti reading ‘FREE PALESTINE.’ The student, kept anonymous for fear of retribution, spoke with the Review.”
UChicago Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality Promotes Student-Run Emergency Contraceptive Initiative via The Chicago Thinker
“On Monday, January 22, the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality (CSGS) at the University of Chicago announced that its facility is distributing Julie, a Plan B equivalent emergency contraceptive, to students via Emergency Contraception for UChicago, a student-run initiative. This marks a noteworthy shift by CSGS out of academia and into pharmaceutical services, a practice traditionally covered by Student Wellness.”
Trustees reaffirm support for Pollack via The Cornell Review
“After a turbulent few months for Cornell, the Board of Trustees voted ’unanimously’ in support of President Martha Pollack’s leadership. Last week, in the most recent struggle faced by the Cornell administration, former trustee Jon Lindseth released a scathing open letter asking for Pollack’s resignation. Lindseth’s chief complaint was Pollack’s support of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at Cornell.”
What Are Anti-SLAPP Statutes? via The Irish Rover
“Professor Tamara Kay’s defamation lawsuit against the Irish Rover was dismissed by the St. Joseph County, Indiana Superior Court on January 8, 2024 under Indiana’s Anti-SLAPP law. Anti-SLAPP statutes are a remedy to SLAPP suits, or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. SLAPP suits lack any true legal claim and typically entail allegations of defamation, libel, and emotional distress... The Irish Rover’s case was peculiar among Anti-SLAPP litigation because it entailed a professor suing a student newspaper at her own institution. Student journalists more often face litigation from parties outside the university.”
It Takes an All-of-the-Above Approach On Energy to Ensure Reliability in Arizona via The Western Tribune
“We are joined by Corporation Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson, who serves on the statewide elected board that regulates public utilities and business incorporation in Arizona. She argues for an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy that insulates Arizona ratepayers from California’s policy decisions.” |
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CATEGORY: IMMIGRATION (24 MIN)
In contrast to the Democratic policy of mass immigration, other thinkers have become convinced that a major downturn in immigration is necessary. For this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive, Chilton Williamson, Jr., unveils his historical case for restricted immigration, drawing on the opinions of the Founders and the background of 19th-century America to argue for tighter borders.
Williamson calls the recent development of pro-immigration fervor “immigrationism.” He attributes it to a result of the combination of ideologies like globalism and excessive nationalism. Since the 1960s, Williamson argues that the flood of immigrants has posed a threat to national well-being which cuts at our country’s foundation.
Williamson then lists a number of the “ideological pillars of the immigrationist position,” responding to each of his characterizations in turn. He focuses his responses on the preservation of America as a historical nation. Williamson summarizes his position with a perhaps controversial take.
“I agree with the founding generation that ‘there is no need of encouragement’ with respect to immigration, and conclude that it should therefore be shut off entirely,” he writes.
What do you think? Read the rest of Williamson’s argument here.
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Thought of the Day:
“On immigration policy, I believe we ought to call an immediate halt, stop illegal immigration and reduce legal immigration back to about 250,000 to 300,000, to more easily assimilate the Americans who've come here in the last 30 years.”
- Pat Buchanan
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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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