It’s time for our 2018 Fall Webathon. And it has arrived at quite the moment.
The last month has been a clarifying one. We have learned who in America believes in due process, presumption of innocence, and elementary evidentiary standards — and who does not. We have learned who in America is prepared to treat people as individuals rather than as avatars of a favored or disfavored group — and who is not. We have learned who in America is determined to resolve public disputes before the facts have been sorted through, and who insists that we wait. And, yes, we have learned an enormous amount about our press, which has sunk to a new and despicable low. In turn, we have been reminded how vital National Review remains as a force within American life. More than six decades ago, the founder of the magazine proposed that “the largest cultural menace in America is the conformity of the intellectual cliques which, in education as well as the arts, are out to impose upon the nation their modish fads and fallacies, and have nearly succeeded in doing so.” Can anyone who has followed the news over the past fortnight doubt the veracity of this observation?
I am an editor, but I am also a reader, and it remains as great a privilege to read our roster now as it did back in 2004 when I sat in my room at college obsessively pressing “Refresh” on The Corner. Across the board, National Review remains an island of clear thinking in a sea of nonsense and fluff. As we should, and as we always have, we have our differences with each other. But we are united in one crucial thing: a steadfast unwillingness to permit fads and fashions to replace the solid rocks upon which our civilization has been built. You will find dissent at National Review, but you will not find moral panic. One of the great advantages of American conservatism is that it helps its adherents keep the North Star visible. Properly understood, National Review serves as a map of the sky.
In the last few years, we have expanded considerably, rebuilding our website from the ground up, adding an array of popular podcasts, and taking on what I believe to be the best collection of political and cultural writers at any outlet in the United States. We were able to do this in large part because of your continued generosity and support. ’Twas ever thus: Since its founding, National Review has always represented a big, boisterous family — a family of which you are all an integral part.
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