BILL BUCKLEY AND THE RISE AND FALL OF THE NATIONAL REVIEW

Colin Liddell and Tim Kelly discuss William F. Buckley, the National Review, and the Conservative Movement. This was an interesting synthesis of Leftist and Rightist tendencies called into being by the expediencies of the Cold War, but was unable to oppose the rise of political correctness or prevent the dangerous hollowing out of the American Empire that we see today.

• First broadcast on the Our Interesting Times Podcast
• "The National Rearview, Obituary of a Cuckservative Rag"
• Review of "RADIX II, the Great Purge"

THE PARALLEL GROWTH OF “BIG GOVERNMENT” AND “MOVEMENT CONSERVATISM”

A slightly modified version of this article originally appeared in The Great Purge: The Deformation of the Conservative Movement, edited by Paul Gottfried and Richard Spencer, and issued by Washington Summit Publishers in 2015.

by Keith Preston

Among the few successes the “conservative movement” can reasonably claim is having established the descriptive epithet of “big government” as a term of opprobrium in American political discourse. Indeed, a review of the literature, websites, and broadcast media associated with American conservatism reveals “big government” to be an ongoing and consistent target of rhetorical invective. For example, an August 15, 2014 piece of commentary appearing on the Townhall.Com website bears the title, “Dismantling Big Government One Step at a Time.”[1] Two days earlier, a post with the curious title of “How to Transcend Obamacare” appeared on National Review Online, and discussed the widely held conservative view that Obamacare “represents our best opportunity to roll back Big Government” largely because of the “less entrenched” nature of this “newest entitlement.”[2] Even the most casual conversation with rank and file conservative movement activists, dutiful Republican voters, fans of “conservative” talk radio, and loyal viewers of the FOX news network will reveal a mentality that regards “big government” as a primordial evil approximating that of original sin. It is therefore fascinating to compare the striking difference between the movement’s rhetoric and stated ambitions, and the reality of what the conservative movement has actually produced when it has had access to power in the political realm.

REVIEW: RADIX II

The Deformation of the Conservative Movement

by Colin Liddell

There has been a long gap between the first copy of Radix Journal and the second one, which has recently appeared in print a good three years later. Compared to its predecessor, which clocked in at 300 pages, concentrated on the possibly overambitious theme of the "deconstruction of White European identity," and even sent Andy Nowicki on an all-expenses-paid trip to report on the "Rainbow Nation" of South Africa, Radix II—The Great Purge: The Deformation of the Conservative Movement has a narrower focus — namely the history of the American Conservative movement — as well as a lower page count (206 pages). This might seem like a case of the journal’s publisher and editor, Richard Spencer, drawing in his horns.

THE NATIONAL REARVIEW: OBITUARY OF A CUCKSERVATIVE RAG

"How much for a copy of Cuckgasm?"

by Colin Liddell

The National Review—which I will henceforth refer to by the more appropriate monicker of National Rearview—is like a forgotten great aunt whom you assume to be dead until you hear one day that she has broken out of her care home and has been caught wandering around in her nightie attacking postmen.

Yes, the old girl has found a way to remind you she is still alive – just in time for her imminent death. This is more or less how we should view the recent issue of National Rearview attacking Donald Trump. Rather than the "kingmaker" role the magazine is LARPing as, what we have here is an impotent and embarrassing incident at the tail end of its life, because unfortunately we don't shoot old mags like we shoot old nags.

THE HOMO AND THE NEGRO: AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES O'MEARA

by Andy Nowicki

The Homo and the Negro, a provocatively-titled collection of essays recently published by Counter-Currents, reveals one of the more interestingly idiosyncratic, and thus far largely unsung, writers of the far right.

James J. O’Meara has called his own writing style “psychedelic,” and while I don’t know if this is meant to imply the actual influence of LSD in this Detroit-born, Canadian-educated baby boomer’s life, one can indeed sense quite a bit more of a Phillip K. Dick-vibe in his work than anything Evolian or Spenglerian. But maybe that’s just a roundabout way of saying that, while O’Meara has a profound interest in matters of intellectual substance, his writing is at the same time entertaining to read, and not in any way stuffy or stultifyingly academic-sounding.

TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE

by Matt Forney

In three months of campaigning, New York City Public Advocate and presumptive mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has accomplished the impossible: making Mike Bloomberg look good.

Given that the diminutive Jewish billionaire has managed to piss off just about everyone during his decade-plus reign as the Big Apple's Il Duce, that's no small deal. Between his fascistic anti-gun policies, his war on sodas and other fattening foods, neutering the city's term limit law in a blatant power grab and using the NYPD as his personal Praetorian Guard, it's a wonder that Gracie Mansion hasn't been torched by an angry mob yet.

JOE SOBRAN AND THE WAGES OF "RESPECTABILITY"

by Andy Nowicki

Self-christened advocates of cultural harmony, equality, justice, and ideological soundness have long insisted that in order to prove oneself truly tolerant one must "NEVER tolerate INtolerance."

Of course, this notion of redefining a concept as its very opposite is purposely obfuscatory. What it means, laid bare, is, "WE, your betters, decide which positions are tolerable, and which are beyond the pale. If you offend our sensibilities, we will come down on you hard. So watch your step, little man, because WE call the shots, not you."