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CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (4 MIN)
It’s said that history is written by the victors, but who writes history if two sides are continually locked in struggle? In today’s American climate, a cold war seems to undergird the political battles between right and left—a war over who gets to tell the story of our forefathers. From the 1619 Project to critical race theory, progressives have attempted to rework the past to their own ends.
Daniel McCarthy highlights this problem in the New York Post, discussing a recent documentary about one of conservatism’s most important figures. McCarthy, the editor of Modern Age and Vice President for the Collegiate Network, watched a PBS special on William F. Buckley Jr. (“The Incomparable Mr. Buckley”), and he describes it as an uneducated and biased perspective.
McCarthy says the documentary went on at great length about Buckley’s efforts against Communism, but not for the purpose of calling out the evil of Communism. Instead, McCarthy reveals that PBS ended its tale with clips from Donald Trump and of the January 6 riot. He further points out that “The Incomparable Mr. Buckley” took pains to include Buckley’s most embarrassing moments without letting him speak for himself through his own words.
As McCarthy puts it, the documentary “finds its subject incomprehensible at the most important level — the meaning of his life’s work.”
Read McCarthy’s entire article here.
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Weekly Poll
Do you have a positive, negative, or neutral opinion of William F. Buckley?
[A] Positive.
[B] Negative.
[C] Neutral.
RESULTS: 4/4/24
Did you have a nice Easter? Here are the results:
[A] Yes - 85.3%
[B] No - 8.8%
[C] It was okay - 5.9%
[D] Do not celebrate - 0%
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (5 MIN)
In the eyes of many, American Christians face a difficult environment in 2024, especially in the political sphere. Elements of both major parties have recently taken actions which offended large portions of the Christian community. Donald Trump endorsed a Bible which contained the Constitution and other founding documents, and President Joe Biden proclaimed Easter Sunday a day of transgender visibility.
In First Things, Carl Trueman analyzes this situation, especially focusing on Biden’s declaration. Trueman pillories the president’s use of euphemisms in his statement, noting that Biden leaned on the language of “freedom” against “hate” to target Christians who oppose transgender ideology. Trueman lays out the actual arguments against transgenderism in response.
Then Trueman compares Biden with Trump, arguing that both candidates feel comfortable bashing their opponents with damaging rhetoric. He says that this phenomenon has contributed to the death of respect and civil discourse in society.
Ultimately, Trueman sees both parties as threatening to Christianity as a whole. He thus urges Christians unhappy with the choice before them in 2024 to focus their minds and attention on spiritual matters.
Do you agree? Discover Trueman’s piece right here.
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CATEGORY: VIDEO
Join us for a captivating lecture by the renowned conservative activist and author, Phyllis Schlafly, as she delves into the rich tapestry of the conservative intellectual tradition in America. Recorded at the ISI in 2012, this insightful talk provides a deep dive into the core principles that have shaped conservative thought throughout American history.
Phyllis Schlafly (1924–2016) was a trailblazing conservative leader, lawyer, and author, best known for her pivotal role in opposing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 1970s. Through staunch advocacy for traditional values, Schlafly's contributions to the conservative movement continue to resonate.
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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.
UPDATE: Students Call for Pomona College President's Resignation After 20 Arrests via The Claremont Independent
“On Friday, 20 students were arrested at Pomona College after refusing to identify themselves while occupying a campus building during a protest for Palestinians in Gaza. All of the protesters have since been released. On Saturday morning, members of the Claremont chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine began calling for Pomona President Gabrielle Starr’s immediate resignation for what they called her ‘fascistic’ and ‘absolutely reprehensible’ conduct.”
'Radical Faeries' and 'Clown Nuns' via The Harvard Salient
“According to an individual identified as ‘Novice Sister Avocado,’ the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI) offer ‘the morality, the joy, the comfort that religion would bring you’ without requiring the commitment of an actual faith. Such was the sales pitch offered at a conference that the Harvard Divinity School held in their honor on March 22.”
Lukianoff and Schlott Discuss “The Canceling of the American Mind” via The Cornell Review
“On February 5, Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott discussed their new book on cancel culture, ‘The Canceling of the American Mind’ before an audience at Cornell. Lukianoff is the CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and Schlott was a FIRE research fellow. Lukianoff also co-authored, with Jonathan Haidt, ‘The Coddling of the American Mind.’”
Stanford’s Faculty and the Banality of Extremism via The Stanford Review
“On November 27th, 2023, a group of Stanford professors and administrators published an open letter to form the ‘collective’ Stanford Faculty for Justice in Palestine, or SFJP. On their website and in their letter, they explicitly support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction platform to, in their words,
end ‘Israel’s continued colonization of Palestine and all Arab lands’ and Israel’s ‘policy of apartheid toward—and now genocide of—Palestinians.’”
Distinguished Journalist James Bennet Discusses the Contemporary State of Journalism via The Jefferson Independent
“Last night, The Blue Ridge Center hosted distinguished journalist James Bennet, who gave a talk reflecting on his feud with The New York Times and the contemporary state of American journalism. In 2016, Bennet was appointed as the Times Editorial Page editor. In the summer of 2020, amidst nationwide Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd’s death, Bennet published an op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton calling for the deployment of federal troops in the face of violent riots. The op-ed immediately sparked outrage within the newspaper, with fellow writers calling the piece ‘fascist’ and claiming that the publication was life-threatening.“ |
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CATEGORY: ECONOMY (3 MIN)
Many people view the study of economics as a purely mathematical endeavor far outside the reach of ordinary minds. Academic papers, long equations, and complicated vocabulary all come to mind. But it’s possible that economics actually covers much more territory, stretching very much into the lives of every human being.
For this week’s article from the Modern Age website, we take a look back at an article from the 1961 edition of Modern Age. Economist Murray Rothbard reviewed a book called The Economic Point of View by Israel M. Kirzner. Rothbard pointed out the popular conceptions of economists as well, noting that many considered them as materialistic and lacking compassion.
Rothbard then highlighted the importance of Kirzner’s work. Kirzner followed the development of economics throughout time, focusing on its broadening to cover nearly every action within human life. Rothbard discussed the intertwining of praxeology (the study of human action) and economics.
“The conservative,” Rothbard wrote, “properly suspicious of the anti-human essence of the ‘social sciences,’ should recognize that in economics, particularly economics in its most developed praxeological form, he has a staunch and extremely important ally.”
Read Rothbard’s article at the Modern Age website here.
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Thought of the Day:
“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”
- William F. Buckley Jr.
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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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