Over at Secondhand Smoke , I posted a small comment about a controversy in the UK involving a restaurant that is going to serve ice cream made from human milk. I worried that this was a telling incident about the hedonistic and vulgar times in which we live, writing:
Hedonism is not just sensuality, but the notion that we should be able to scratch every itch, indulge every impulse, feed every appetite, and break most behavior boundaries–in short, decadence.
That has led to a robust discussion about whether we can even define propriety in culture. If you are so inclined, come on over and participate.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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