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CATEGORY: ECONOMY (31 MIN)
If Republicans take control of the government this election cycle, they face a heavy internal debate over what to do with the new power. Conservatives have confronted general tension between one another and between old policies and new, especially in the field of economics. Should conservatives commit to free trade, or should they see protectionism as necessary?
Sen. Marco Rubio enters in on the latter side of this debate. Rubio, writing in National Affairs, delivers a comprehensive argument encouraging industrial policy from the U.S. government and warning against valuing free trade too highly. He does caution that if the policymakers aren’t competent or have the wrong goals in mind (such as he says the current government does), the policy will be ineffective.
Rubio draws on historical anecdotes from the time of the Founding to the Cold War to argue for the success of certain tariffs and other trade measures. These examples include the old national arsenal, the space program, and the auto industry. And despite false starts from other leaders, Rubio thinks the lessons of the past can inform a new successful attempt to rebuild American business.
Do you agree? Read Rubio’s thorough proposal right here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 3/21/24
Last week, we asked: Would you consider classical schooling for yourself or your children if you were deciding among education options available today? Here are the results:
[A] Yes - 95.7%
[B] No - 4.3%
[C] Unsure - 0%
Should conservatives pursue a maximally free trade policy approach or should they consider protectionist policies for key American industries?
[A] Conservatives should only pursue free trade policies.
[B] Conservatives should adopt protectionist trade policies for certain American industries.
[C] Unsure
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CATEGORY: RELIGION (14 MIN)
The Academy Awards for last year’s top films wrapped up earlier this month, with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer sweeping seven Oscars, including Best Picture. And already, a new movie has staked its claim for next year’s award season: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, which earned a strong 93% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Like many great stories, Dune describes a messiah figure—a savior who has come to save a group of people. In The American Conservative, Sohrab Ahmari delves into the legend of the messiah throughout the history of religions. Ahmari, a Catholic, plainly expresses how one’s faith in the Messiah of the Bible might be challenged by the creation of so many other messiahs.
Ahmari focuses on the example of Manichaeism, a religion founded by a man named Mani in the third century AD. Ahmari characterizes Mani as an excellent salesman who blended aspects of other religions to create an attractive pitch to new potential converts. Mani acted as prophet, priest, and savior, writing his own sacred texts and translating them across language barriers.
Ahmari then says, quoting C.S. Lewis, that if you created a religion from scratch, like Mani did, you wouldn’t get Christianity. This assures Ahmari of his faith.
What do you think? Discover Ahmari’s entire essay here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
We are thrilled to unveil the latest milestone in Modern Age's evolution: a new website! Join us this week as we engage in an insightful discussion with Dan McCarthy and Andrew Beck on the noteworthy updates to ISI's Modern Age journal.
Andrew Beck, esteemed co-founder of Beck & Stone, has collaborated closely with ISI to craft a visually stunning and seamlessly navigable platform, ensuring that accessing our esteemed publication is now more convenient than ever before.
In this conversation, we delve into the meticulous design process, the strategic vision driving this transformation, and the profound impact it will have on our readership. Join us as we explore the intersection of tradition and modernity, and celebrate the dawn of a new era for Modern Age.
Modern Age is now available in print and digital editions. Print subscribers also receive complimentary digital access.
Website
Subscribe Here
Use the code MODERNAGE1957 for discounted on a one-year print subscription!
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
We have a preponderance of books on leadership in business; yet, despite broad dissatisfaction with our political leaders, almost none on how to be a good statesman. John A. Burtka IV, President and CEO of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, discusses lessons on political leadership from thinkers and leaders throughout history, from Xenophon and Aristotle to Machiavelli, Washington and everyone in between. Along the way, he delves into the differences between the theory and practice of statesmanship, the distinctions between Western and Eastern political advice, whether Christianity makes one a better leader, and why the "Mirrors for Princes" tradition can be helpful for students and leaders in modern democracies.
Johnny's Book:
Gateway to Statesmanship: Selections from Xenophon to Churchill
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An Evening with Brian Kilmeade on Teddy Roosevelt & Booker T. Washington
April 16th, 2024
Join ISI on Tuesday, April 16th at an exclusive evening with celebrated author Brian Kilmeade that promises to transport you back to the pivotal moments that shaped our nation. Kilmeade’s latest book, Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality, offers a compelling look at the intertwined lives of Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt.
Visit ISI's historic 20-acre estate just two hours north of Washington, DC, in Delaware's Brandywine Valley. Sponsors will be invited to an exclusive VIP reception with Kilmeade and receive a signed copy of the book. Reserve your tickets and explore sponsorship opportunities at isi.org/kilmeade.
We look forward to seeing you at ISI this spring for an evening of historical discovery and intellectual delight!
Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>
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A Revival and Reinvention of the Traditional University
Ralston College is offering a one-year M.A. in Humanities, where students encounter transformative works of Western culture that have, for centuries, been central to humanistic learning.
The program begins with an immersive, two-month residency in Greece, which combines language study with instructive travel.
Then, on Ralston’s campus in Savannah, Georgia, students pursue an ambitious multidisciplinary curriculum, focusing on the greatest works of Western civilization from ancient times to the present.
Ralston College is keen to recruit the strongest possible students to its new cohort. To members of its incoming class, the college will award a number of fully funded fellowships, covering both tuition and room and board for the entirety of the program.
Join a community of scholars and teachers who value deep learning, free inquiry, the pursuit of truth, and the celebration of beauty.
Applications are now open >>>
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Norman Finkelstein Compares Hamas to Holocaust Victims, Attacks “Jewish Billionaire Class” at SJP Event via The Princeton Tory
“On Thursday, March 21, Princeton’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted Norman Finkelstein GS ’87 for a lecture titled ‘On the Gaza Genocide.’ The talk centered on a comparison between the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews and Israel’s ongoing operations against Hamas in Gaza. During the lecture, Finkelstein refused to condemn Hamas for perpetrating the October 7 massacre, comparing its fighters to escapees of Nazi death camps. He and the moderator also advanced the conspiracy theory that a ‘Jewish billionaire class’ puppeteers the US.”
UChicago MBAs Hold ‘Informative and Empowering’ Egg-Freezing Q&A Session via The Chicago Thinker
“On February 28, the UChicago MBA program’s Women in Business group held a question-and-answer session on egg-freezing with Cofertility, a feminist egg-freezing startup. The event highlighted tensions between the rosy rhetoric of career-first feminism and the reality that many of UChicago’s female MBA students are delaying childbirth until they are at risk of losing the ability to naturally conceive.”
IUPUI budgets over $100,000 for Social Justice Scholars, $1.5 million for DEI administrators via The Collegiate Commons
“The Collegiate Commons recently decided to take a look at how student tuition and fees were being used by the Social Justice Scholars through the Multicultural Center at IUPUI. The budget received by The Collegiate Commons accounted for $107,840, albeit there were other, much larger expenses associated with DEI on campus, including $1,445,696 spent on DEI administrators. This comes as the IU-Indianapolis 2030 Plan calls for the expansion of several diversity initiatives.”
BYU Redacted Holland Speech, Removed Criticism of Pride Parades, ‘Flag-Waving’ via The Cougar Chronicle
“BYU has edited out portions of [former BYU President] Elder Holland’s faculty address 'The Second Half of the Second Century of Brigham Young University’ for its UNIV 101 class, specifically comments that criticized pride parades as well as a BYU valedictorian’s decision to discuss his sexual orientation as part of his commencement speech, the Cougar Chronicle confirmed this week. The address is required reading for BYU’s new general education class, UNIV
101.”
Reforming DEI: A Conversation at the Safra Center via The Harvard Salient
“On March 21st, Harvard’s Safra Center for Ethics hosted a four-person panel on the impacts of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) on universities... Panelists disagreed about whether DEI goals should take precedence over academic freedom and freedom of speech, as well as how often conflicts between those priorities in fact arise.” |
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (13 MIN)
It’s a well-known fact that the Western world has become increasingly secular. Many young people have left religious institutions, faith has become the subject of open mockery, and some officials now try to make it illegal for Americans to practice their beliefs. But what are those leaving religion fleeing to?
In this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Daniel McCarthy says they’re running to literally nothing. McCarthy, the editor in chief of Modern Age and Vice President for the Collegiate Network at ISI, points out that historically, the god of progress and the God of faith collided. French philosophes and other thinkers proclaimed the utopian march of mankind toward perfection in opposition to the biblical narrative.
Yet today, many Americans wouldn’t actually say that the theme of history is progress toward an ultimate goal. Instead, McCarthy argues, the ability for anyone in the West to have faith in anything at all is collapsing.
“It’s as if a great religion has collapsed into an anarchy of cults. This is the end of History—not a goal attained but a capital letter rendered irrelevant. Entropy has dethroned progress,” McCarthy writes.
McCarthy says conservatives must avoid this trap of excessive entropy. Read his full article right here.
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Thought of the Day:
“Industry is increased, commodities are multiplied, agriculture and manufacturers flourish: and herein consists the true wealth and prosperity of a state.”
- Alexander Hamilton
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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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