Category Archives: Conservatism

In Defence of Roger Scruton…

Posted on November 14, 2018 by bsixsmith

If the Conservatives fire Roger Scruton from his new position as “housing czar” it will be as vivid a symbol of surrender as running a white sheet up a flagpole. Scruton is Britain’s most prominent and respected conservative intellectual. No … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Conservatism | Leave a comment

The Corrosion of Conservatism by Max Boot…

Posted on October 27, 2018 by bsixsmith

Max Boot, like Jennifer Rubin, once claimed to be a conservative critic of President Donald Trump but has become critical of conservatism itself. His new book The Corrosion of Conservatism explores his dissatisfaction with the Conservative movement and explains, as … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Books, Conservatism | 8 Comments

Andrew Sullivan’s Paper-Thin Conservatism…

Posted on September 26, 2018 by bsixsmith

Debating intellectual conservatism in the age of Trump may be like debating ethics in the face of an angry bear. Perhaps the bear will do some good. Perhaps the bear will feast on people who deserve to be consumed. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism | 2 Comments

Recent Writings…

Posted on July 7, 2017 by bsixsmith

I wrote four articles for different websites: “In Praise of Anonymity” for Quillette. “Reading Habits of the Anorexic” for I Am 1 In 4. “Are “Never Trumpers” Still Conservative” and “Defining Conservatism for the 21st Century” for Bombs and Dollars.

Posted in Conservatism, Libertarianism, Mental Health | 2 Comments

Out of Touch Conservatives…

Posted on June 16, 2017 by bsixsmith

Right wingers often mock the left for how removed its values are from the concerns of common men. What Corbyn’s success has proved (as, to some extent, did Trump’s) is that right wing values can also be out of touch. … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Conservatism, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Lost Cause Conservatism…

Posted on May 2, 2017 by bsixsmith

Daniel J. Mahoney reviews a book of conversations with Roger Scruton, and concludes… Near the end of this delightful and instructive book, Mark Dooley notes “Scruton’s reputation is certainly not what it used to be.” He is now a Fellow … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

The Blank Slateism of the Right…

Posted on January 15, 2017 by bsixsmith

My new essay for Quillette… “What a piece of work is a man!” Hamlet exclaimed. What indeed? Something less than God. Something more than dust. But what else can be said has remained controversial. There is an idea that human … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism, Science | Leave a comment

Orwell Against Modernity…

Posted on December 23, 2016 by bsixsmith

The ubiquity of George Orwell in British and American culture has much to do with his being the secular saint of journalists. If the media was run by Mormons, Joseph Smith would be as famous. He embodies their romantic illusions … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Conservatism, History, Literature | 2 Comments

Conservatism and Classics…

Posted on December 19, 2016 by bsixsmith

Donna Zuckerberg of Eidolon writes on the interest of the “alt-right” in antiquity, and, specifically, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. “It is time,” she says, “For Classics as a discipline to say to these men: we will not give you … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism, History | 3 Comments

Great Gambles of the Twenty-First Century…

Posted on December 15, 2016 by bsixsmith

In many ways the 21st Century is a fortunate time to be alive. We have money. We have food. We have shelter. We have medicine. We have little risk of dying in battle or being murdered. Yet this relative peace … Continue reading →

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