In this edition of The Stakes, Claremont Senior Fellow Michael Anton, a lecturer in politics and research fellow at Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center, talks with Glenn Ellmers, Visiting Research Scholar at Hillsdale College and author of The Soul of Politics: Harry V. Jaffa and the Fight for America. The two discuss some of the major ideas and principles in Harry Jaffa’s philosophical writing, and how those principles might apply to the modern American crisis. Plus: a defense of some of Jaffa’s more contentious ideas.

The Stakes: Harry Jaffa’s Philosophy

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The Libertarian Party has rejected RFK in favor of a no-name candidate, Chase Oliver—but he’s a far cry from Libertarians of old. Meanwhile, the US military-built aid pier on Gaza’s coast was hit by harsh seas and will become an artificial reef if not repaired soon, shining a light on the degradation of the military’s infrastructure capabilities. Finally, old recognizes old as the Biden admin trots out Robert De Niro for its latest display of irrelevant celebrities. The editors analyze the headlines before reminding you to read the damn site.   Recommended reading: Why Johnny Can’t Build The Closing of the Internet Mind  The Way Forward Spring 2024 Claremont Review of Books

Sinking Parties… and Piers

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A Dangerous Empire to Lose

The Boy Scouts abandoned manly virtue for DEI and participation medals long ago. This killed enrollment numbers, but the Scouts are doubling down, rebranding to “Scouting America” and advertising their willingness to accept boys and girls (and presumably enbies) just as they are. Meanwhile, Biden’s particular brand of senile venom was on full display when he crossed himself in the name of abortion. In more heartening news, The Guardian's attempt to dox formerly anonymous X poster “Lomez” seems to have backfired spectacularly. The editors read between the lines, before reminding you to read the damn site.   Recommended reading:  Expropriation: The End Game of Anti-Whiteness Bonsai Children Pursuit of Happiness The Great Divergence Scouts' Honor

Borg Scouts

Filled with apparent panic at Biden's low standing among "the youth," the Administration pulled out all the stops this week with a press conference featuring...Mark Hamill? Was that the best they could do? Maybe, as student riots and protests continue to emphasize Biden's rowdy kids problem--not that the Right is quite sure how to respond to campus antisemitism, either. Elsewhere in academia, the rolling replicability crisis continues apace, indicating once again that data worship is a mistake. The editors survey the landscape of new age Star-Wars-ism, free speech unease, and COVID-style crises of authority.

Go See a Star War

As the global intifada marshals its ranks across American campuses, bemused observers are wondering what exactly the protestors want, and whether they'll show up at the DNC this year. Meanwhile, a group called Catholic Answers created and then promptly "defrocked" an "Al Priest" who took a hard line on matters of sexuality but proved remarkably lax in the baptism department. Given that Al language models and image creation tools are being trained on troves of unvetted data from the internet--some of it including child pornography--we might not want to ordain them as our priests. The editors discuss all this, plus the Left's endgame for Trump, before reminding you to read the damn site.

The Stakes: Harry Jaffa’s Philosophy

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