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Dodging deceptive design in the age of Big everything

'It is indisputable that, on occasion, men of character make personal decisions that have world-historical consequences.'

Alexander Salter reviews Johnny Burtka's latest book in the Front Porch Republic!

Despite loads of data, attacks on homeschooling persist. I have written on such 'red herrings' as these before--like Front Porch Republic. The reality is, homeschooling nowadays is more mainstream and diverse than ever. frontporchrepublic.com/2023/09/homesc…

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When we refuse to engage our fellow citizens, we are also taking a public position. There is such a thing as non-partisan economics. But there is no such thing as non-political economics.

When Sam is tempted by the Ring, even his pure-hearted desire to transform the wasteland into a garden is part of the temptation, not just his desire for conquest and rule.

The Machine knows what you love best, and wants to sell you more of it than you can use.

'In the process of writing this essay, I finally convinced myself to delete my Amazon list. I miss the pleasure of instantly capturing & advertising my desires. I remain too much a child of the Machine & a devotee of the unreal.'
Chris Lane on the need for limits Front Porch Republic

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Perhaps we need nothing more and nothing less than a continual return to the Gospel, via all the means already available to us. We could start with St. Paul’s reminder that “covetousness . . . is idolatry” (Col. 3:5)

'...[Lukacs] was so uncannily good at: looking from high above, surveying the broad sweep of historical patterns, and speaking in a concerned gravitas of what the long high view reveals about the doings and concerns and vicissitudes of men and nations and civilizations.'

In which I recommend essays by 𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚎 🚇, Will Bardenwerper, Jon Lauck, John W. Miller, Karen Swallow Prior (Notorious KSP at The Priory), zeynep tufekci, and others.

Jason Peters introduces the spring issue of Local Culture, which explores the thinking and legacy of John Lukacs. Read his editorial: frontporchrepublic.com/2024/04/from-t…

Then subscribe this weekend to get your copy of the issue in the mail: frontporchrepublic.com/local-culture/

In this week's Water Dipper, Jeff Bilbro recommends essays about the Midwest, Adderall, and avian flu. buff.ly/3xOh5Xc

I've got a long review of David James Duncan's *Sun House* in this issue that was a real delight to write.

With thanks to: Jon D. Schaff for Front Porch Republic, Catherine Ruth Pakaluk interview Public Discourse, Shelby Kearns for Fairer Disputations, Kayla Bartsch for National Review, great interviews with Jacqueline Doyle and Sasha Vasilyuk w/Ruth Madievsky, and John Wilson about Engaging Scripture (Substack) and my book!

Jason Peters introduces the spring issue of Local Culture, which explores the thinking and legacy of John Lukacs. Read his editorial: frontporchrepublic.com/2024/04/from-t…

Then subscribe this weekend to get your copy of the issue in the mail: frontporchrepublic.com/local-culture/

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There is something Augustinian in Lukacs’ view of the past—that in a real sense, or at least in a manner of speaking, it exists only in the present, for it is only in the present that by remembering we call the past from nothingness into being.

'As a ghostwriter who helped to build the politics of resentment that eventually engulfed her own family, Nancy [French] acknowledges her past sins. Today, her call is to 'stop averting our eyes at the first sign of disagreement''.

Nice essay:

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This is the story of a bruised soul touched by grace but still frustrated by the passivity that others continue to show in response to the unspeakable.

I have two pieces out today. At Front Porch Republic I have a piece on liberalism as a place of refuge:
frontporchrepublic.com/2024/04/will-n…

.Jon D. Schaff on liberalism is excellent.