CATEGORY: CULTURE (7 min)
Maybe the 1990s were the last great decade of Western Culture.
Before you dismiss the idea as crazy talk—or perhaps the ravings of a 10 Things I Hate About You fan account—Myke Bartlett wants you to consider the facts about what’s happened since.
Writing in The Critic, Bartlett examines the burgeoning industry of 90s nostalgia and suggests that its allure lies in a cultural coherence and confidence that we have lost.
1990s culture was interesting . . . weird . . . and shared.
“Much of the nostalgia for past decades isn’t for the kind of art we remember, but for the way we all experienced it together.”
Blame the loss of 90s optimism on 9/11 if you want. But Bartlett thinks file sharing and social media are more at fault for today’s fragmentation.
And in an age of democratized, digitized culture, endless self-promotion is mandatory.
Are any of these hallmarks of the 21st century compatible with great art?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Read the article and decide for yourself . . .
. . . and reconsider the decade you missed (or miss).
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Join us for ISI’s Modern Age panel discussion, Rediscovering Conservatism, on Wednesday, May 25th, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. This is a free event open to the public and will be preceded by a 5:00 p.m. reception preceding the event.
Inspired by political theorist Yoram Hazony's new book, Conservatism: a Rediscovery, this discussion will also feature Matthew Continetti, author of The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism, and Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation. This panel will be a defining moment for conservatism in the 21st century as these brilliant minds explore questions related to Western democracy, our religious and cultural traditions, free markets, and the American model. Yoram Hazony and Matthew Continetti will sign books following the discussion.
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CATEGORY: FREE SPEECH (3 min)
Did you know that the Soviet Union affirmed commitment to free speech?
Of course, these were just empty platitudes to distract from its authoritarianism . . .
. . . not unlike the Princeton administration today.
The latest “Notes & Comments” from The New Criterion takes the university to task for its shameful treatment of Joshua T. Katz—a distinguished classicist who recently dared to criticize a proposal to give “faculty of color” extra sabbatical time and support.
Katz has been pilloried by the administration and on the university’s website.
Now, some Princetonians are speaking up in defense of free speech.
Will it be enough for real reform? Or will it just be a Potemkin trial?
Read here to get up to speed on this illiberal scandal.
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
UVA Student Survives Doxing, Cancel Culture, and a Campus Mob via the Jefferson Independent
Teach-In Highlights Cornell’s China Ties via the Cornell Review
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CATEGORY: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (20 min)
Do you remember the fear that gripped the world when the COVID-19 pandemic began?
It was an understandable response.
But many activists attacked people who didn’t seem fearful enough . . .
. . . who dared to raise questions about the trade-offs involved in lockdown policies.
As Modern Age editor Daniel McCarthy pointed out at the time, this philosophy that prioritized fear and death over everything else wasn’t new.
It could be traced back to the philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
More Afraid of Death Than in Love with Life?
In this article from the spring of 2020, McCarthy explains why Hobbes believed that fear was the necessary starting point for a political order . . .
. . . and how that belief survives in modern liberalism.
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Thought of the Day:
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
—John A. Shedd, “Salt from My Attic”
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Thank you for reading. Share with a friend!
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Who We Are, What We Do
Too many college students feel isolated or attacked for questioning the ever-narrowing range of debate on campus.
We introduce you to the American tradition of liberty and to a vibrant community of students and scholars so that you get the collegiate experience you hunger for.
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