A new book on cinema and wellness says more about the state of academic inquiry than it does the contributions of film art to human wholeness. Read More… Sometime in the last decade, the collegiate class were led by their dedicated sophists to start talking about “the narrative,” which hadn’t concerned them before. Soon they also plaining about propaganda, “misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.” I take that to mean that elites who were pro-tech at the beginning of the 21st century...

A collection of essays by Hillsdale professor Bradley J. Birzer explores the moral imagination of the great Christian humanists to reflect on literature and film—and, of course, Batman. Read More… A young Kansas boy moves between oil derricks, wheat fields, and abandoned buildings. He stops for only one thing: the hose. Not any ordinary hose, but a most extraordinary hose. Its contents pour forth not in trickles, streams, or torrents but gush in words, images, and pages. Not a fire...

George Gilder believes that wealth is ultimately about knowledge rather than our possessions. Now if only government would stop suppressing that knowledge and discouraging innovation. Read More… If there is anything that makes people nervous about capitalism, it is surely the prospect of instability. Whether it is the boom-bust cycle or severe financial crises, the up-and-downs that seem to be part-and-parcel of life in market economies make us nervous. As a consequence, we look for forces and institutions that claim...

What can conservatism contribute to our nation right now? Not only tried and true ideas but also deep gratitude for a rich cultural inheritance. Read More… “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” —Cicero, Pro Plancio, 54 B.C. Whenever I act out of anger or fear, I make mistakes—sometimes serious mistakes. Whenever I embrace gratitude as a guiding principle, I find joy and reward. Maybe the same can be said not just...

Growing concerns over deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong, and the persecution of political dissidents, prompt EU’s call for immediate action. Read More… The European Parliament condemned the persecution of jailed newspaper publisher and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, calling for his immediate and unconditional release from prison and the repeal of Hong Kong’s national security law (NSL), in a resolution passed on June 15, according to Voice of America. The resolution passed with 483 votes in favor, 9 against,...

Hungary, which some on the New Right see as a virtual paradise for conservative ideals, is ing yet another exhibit in the case against crony capitalism. Read More… There once was a time when foreign investors regarded Hungary as the tax haven of the European Union. Boasting a low corporate tax rate, a new flat tax, and most importantly for many investors massive subsidies from the Hungarian government to “create jobs,” this was Hungary’s claim to fame. But this is...

It’s a given among most academics today that Britain’s empire and economic success was the result of the depredation of native cultures and gross exploitation. But what if it’s not true? Read More… There is edy sketch from British television, now made immortal by the internet, in which a Nazi soldier, waiting for Russian troops to advance on his army’s position, uneasily examines the skull insignias on his uniform and wonders if they might, in fact, be the baddies. Today...

Wes Anderson, known for his self-conscious, tableaux-laden tales of arch strangeness, e home to America after sojourning the world. What he has discovered here is a country many miss. Read More… During his past decade or so of directing, Wes Anderson has done his darnedest to make audiences forget he’s an American. His most recent films have been set in elaborately imagined fictional versions of Budapest (2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel), Japan (2018’s Isle of Dogs), and France (2021’s The...

Exploring Catholic social teaching in relation to economics is fine, but if we’re too open-minded about seeking a new mon good” capitalism, our brains might fall out. Read More… Alexander William Salter’s new book, The Political Economy of Distributism: Property, Liberty, and the Common Good, is an odd fish. It begs questions, contains numerous chapters that consist mostly of lengthy quotations, and at times seems to contradict itself, yet in the end it affirms an essential truth that we may...

We’ve prepared a short list of beach and vacay reading so you don’t have to. Read More… The best way to start summer is to stock up on the newest book releases and to revisit the classics. Whether you’re concerned about growing populism among the right and left, how to think through humanitarian aid within your church, or the more significant questions of human flourishing, there is something for everyone. And if you’re one of the 900 attendees at Acton...