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R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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Watching Liberals Give Way to Technocrats

From First Thoughts

Good for William Bowen. The former president of Princeton spoke at my alma mater Haverford College’s commencement on Sunday and has sharp words for the students who successfully campaigned against another commencement speaker, Robert J. Birgineau, former Chancellor of Cal Berkeley. They accused him of violating a sacred principle—thou shalt not require progressive protestors to obey the law—and issued a list of nine things he needed to do in order to properly repent and receive absolution. Continue Reading »

The Rise of Nationalism

From First Thoughts

It’s a global phenomenon. Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi won in India. Shinzo Abe in Japan hits nationalist notes. Svoboda, an ultra-nationalist party in Ukraine, has become an important player. The Golden Dawn in Greece is another ultra-nationalist party. Great Britain’s anti-EU party is on the rise, as are nationalists in France and the Netherlands. Continue Reading »

Piketty and the New Economy

From First Thoughts

Larry Summers has a fine review in Democracy of the hot new book by Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. He points out that the publication of this book in English corresponds with a political/cultural moment in which we’re anxious, concerned, and to some degree confused by a growing economic inequality. Continue Reading »

Spring Web Campaign

From First Thoughts

Friends and readers, yesterday we launched a campaign to raise money from you, our web readers. Every spring and Christmastide we send out letters to our subscribers, asking them for support. The changes in publishing mean that you’re now an important part of the First Things community. And we need your support too. 

Putting out a first rate magazine and running a vital website with fresh content every day requires significant resources. We have $2.3 million budget. Less than half comes from subscriptions. The rest comes from donations.

First Things is an important institution. We’re a forceful voice for moral sanity, cultural depth, and religious orthodoxy. That’s unique, and I hope worthy of your support. Please donate today.

Rewriting Nature’s Laws

From the May 2014 Print Edition

In February, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed Senate Bill 1062, a piece of legislation designed to strengthen protection of religious freedom. Passed by a Republican legislature, it was a bill her staff (she is a Republican as well) had helped to craft some weeks before. But her support turned to . . . . Continue Reading »

While We’re At It

From the May 2014 Print Edition

• In a February speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rhapsodized about the positive potential for a stronger partnership between Russia and the European Union. On one point, however, he was negative. It concerned morality, not questions of democracy or economic policy. “I cannot . . . . Continue Reading »

Global Culture Wars

From the April 2014 Print Edition

In February, the Kremlin announced that Russia is tightening its ban on same-sex couples adopting Russian children. A new law prohibits single people in countries that allow same-sex marriage from adopting children from Russia, one of the world’s largest sources of children for adoption. . . . . Continue Reading »

While We’re At It

From the April 2014 Print Edition

Some aren’t cheering my governor’s brand of liberalism. Some even oppose his efforts to increase access to abortion. Shocking. His diagnosis: “Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is ­themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are . . . . Continue Reading »