Short reviews of "The American Cinema" by Andrew Sarris, and "Ressentiment" by Max Scheler.
Polemics & Exchanges: March 2025
Readers praise Prof. Gottfried for his piece on Vichy France, and Piers Shepherd for remembering Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.
Trumpian Tornado Takes the U.S. Down a New Path
During its first month in office, the Trump administration has made bold moves domestically and internationally, most significantly by making a break with European globalists.
Time to Topple the Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment is not a beatific and integral part of some mythical “Second Founding.” Indeed, it undermines republican government.
How “Democracy” Lost Its Meaning
Majorities still rule in most Western countries, but unelected bureaucrats continue manipulating majorities and elections.
Righting History
Three new books set the record straight on European monarchy, Franco's Spain, and Hitler's ascent to power. Revisionists often get it wrong, but these three get it right!
Remembering Eva Brann
Eva Brann's lifelong quest to understand American history affirmed that there was something unique about the country worth preserving and perpetuating.
What We Are Reading: March 2025
Short reviews of "A Worthy Company" by M. E. Bradford, and "Intelligence in Danger of Death" by Marcel De Corte.
The Religion of Secular Doomsayers
"American Spirit or Great Awokening?" carefully decodes the hidden religious elements of wokeism’s fascination with climate apocalypticism and trans identity. This little book, however, makes some significant missteps.
The Prime Minister Who Loved the Market Too Much
Former-PM Liz Truss' book doubles as a memoir and a stale neo-Thatcherite policy paper. Her politics haven't changed much since the '90s.
The Great America First Conspiracy
Jacob Heilbrunn's "America Last" attempts to undermine the MAGA movement and encourage "the resistance" by discrediting the intellectual history of the America-First right.
Books in Brief: March 2025
Short reviews of 'America First,' by H. W. Brands, and 'The Movement' by Clara Bingham.
Trudeau: Government by Luck and Gimmick
Justin Trudeau's political failure mirrors the general inability of leftist ideologues to prepare for that moment when their luck runs out and reality knocks on the door.
The Hazards of Viewpoint Diversity
The honest liberal who strives for neutrality is soon outgunned by ideologues who view academia not as a marketplace of ideas but as an institution that must be controlled.
A Visual Feast that Fails to Frighten
Though visually dazzling, Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" collapses into caricature and fails to give the audience a good scare.
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
The penny is on the chopping block today, but other casualties will follow as we traverse down the road of progress.
Creating Our Own Four Horsemen
Conservatives must use what time remains for the republic's survival to establish their own institutions and heroes who will help them stave off left-wing cultural dominance.
The Death of the UK Conservative Party
The Tories had 14 years in power to undo Liberal power structures. Instead, they capitulated and became a pathetic leftist party.
Europe’s Patriots Enthused by Trump
Donald Trump has inspired a patriotic movement well beyond America's borders. "Make America Great Again" has birthed "Make Europe Great Again!"
Promethean Fire in the Age of AI
Completely outsourcing creativity to algorithms would be a grave mistake and nothing short of a betrayal of what makes us human. It also doesn’t make much sense if you consider yourself a culture warrior.
Maugham the Master
W. Somerset Maugham was envied for his wealth, ability to travel in style everywhere in the world, and the fact that everything he wrote sold like hotcakes.