As conservatives, it's natural for us to look back. We're doing it right now with our magazine issue celebrating William F. Buckley Jr.'s 100th birthday. We believe it's really important to look back, both to learn from history and to cultivate gratitude for the immense blessings we enjoy today.
But wherein lies our hope for the future? It can be easy to be pessimistic. The national debt is out of control, with leadership of both major parties committed to ignoring it. The military can't seem to build ships or planes on time or within budget. Ever-expanding federal regulation feels inevitable. Securing the border or having any kind of coherent immigration policy is perennially out of reach.
Despairing at these realities is partly a choice. At the same time, the U.S. has seen major successes. Gun rights for individuals are probably more secure today than ever. Universal school choice went from being a crazy Milton Friedman idea to being the law of the land in twelve states, with the second most populous state of Texas expected to pass it next year. The flat tax went from being a crazy Steve Forbes idea to being the law of the land in 14 states, and eight have no income taxes at all, with two more in the process of phasing them out as the tax-cut revolution continues. Roe v. Wade is gone, Chevron deference is gone, and every public-sector job in the country is right-to-work, all because the majority of Supreme Court justices rule based on what the Constitution says, not what they want it to say.
Even on regulation, there are real successes led by conservatives at the state level. In my latest magazine piece, I wrote about how Governor Kim Reynolds in Iowa and Governor Brad Little in Idaho have overseen major reductions in bureaucratic inefficiency and the quantity of regulations. And of course, there's Javier Milei, taking his chain saw to the bloated Argentinian state and crushing inflation. |
According to some, you're not supposed to care about these victories because you're just supposed to be mad all the time about the stuff that's going wrong. A vision for America based on individual liberty, free markets, and civil society is supposedly outdated. I, in particular, find this criticism unpersuasive because I believe in those ideas and am 25 years old, and I know plenty of other people my age who are sympathetic.
One of the missions of National Review Institute is helping to educate young people to keep Buckley's ideas alive for the next generation. One way we do that is through the Communicators Workshop, where attendees get to hear from NR editors such as Rick Brookhiser and Jay Nordlinger along with other non-NR experts on getting ideas across persuasively. We also have events on college campuses, such as the one I spoke at in February at the University of Virginia on the national debt. One student was absolutely floored by the mess the federal government has created—I got through!
There are also our journalism fellowships, the Buckley and the Rhodes, both of which I have done, as have many more young conservatives. Alongside NR internships, these are some of the best talent development programs in conservative journalism, helping to launch careers and keep conservative ideas front and center.
As Buckley wrote in the mission statement from the first issue of National Review in 1955, "The competitive price system is indispensable to liberty and material progress." As our giant Buckley issue and our coming year-long celebration of Buckley's legacy indicate, we aren't budging on those core convictions. Will you help us in our mission to make sure the next generation knows who he was, what he thought, and why America is great? Please consider making a tax-deductible gift today. It will demonstrate your conviction and be an expression of your hope for the future and allow more young people to become acquainted with NR. |
Gratefully, Dominic Pino
Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow, National Review Institute |
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National Review Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), journalistic think tank that preserves and promotes William F. Buckley Jr.'s legacy and advances the principles of a free society through educational and outreach programs. All contributions to it are deductible for income, gift, and estate tax purposes.
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