Editor's Desk

Yes, it does look great, doesn't it? In preparation for broader distribution soon, we’ve been rapidly expanding TNI’s size and quality (you did notice, didn’t you?). For March, we’ve also printed thousands of extra copies for distribution at the Conservative Political Action Conference. We decided to exploit that opportunity to make some significant changes in our printing, too (including full-color interior) and see what you thought of them.

So, this issue of The New Individualist is an experiment. I can’t promise that we’ll do it up this way every month—at least not yet—but it does represent another big step toward my ultimate goal (world domination). I’d really appreciate your feedback on the magazine—not just regarding this issue, but generally. Let me know what you like and what you don’t, and we’ll try to accommodate your interests.

Quite a pile of fascinating letters to the editor have piled up in recent weeks, and you just have to turn the page to find them. Roger Donway’s “Private I” column this month raises some important questions about how to protect freedom by constraining democracy—and, as expected, Roger offers some thoughtful ideas. Scott Wheeler dug up the dirt on some very nasty terrorist sorts who are wandering around America; read the unsettling details in his “Sentinel” column.

It was only fitting that we try to target some articles to new conservative readers at the CPAC conference. My cover feature, “Up from Conservatism,” challenges the conservative movement directly, bluntly, and in terms of philosophic fundamentals. Coupled with our in-your-face cover by Mr. Sims, I wouldn’t be surprised to get some mail from conservatives. Or ticking packages.

So, to lighten things up, Ed Hudgins—excuse me, Dr. Hudgins—prescribes “A 12-Step Cure for Big-Government Conservatives,” an intervention to address the addictive spendaholism that has become epidemic among conservative Republican officeholders. In “Freedom’s Filmmakers,” Ed follows on with cheering news about the Moving Picture Institute, a company that is producing high-quality, high-profile documentaries that promote liberty and capitalism. It’s about time that we had a counterweight (no pun intended) to Michael Moore.

 I’m pleased to introduce two new writers with this issue. Alec Mouhibian contributes a review of Rod Dreher’s Crunchy Cons (with an interminable subtitle meant to be cute), a book which proclaims that its author’s countercultural values and fixations are compatible with conservatism. (Well, since conservatives eschew definitions. . .why not?)  Alec’s piece is insightful and funny; I hope this is only his first appearance here. A bit later, another newcomer, Hugo Schmidt, provides a lucid, probing review of scholar Richard Dawson’s controversial new title, The God Delusion. That one also should stir things up among our new conservative readers.

Next, Roger Donway calls our attention to two recent philosophy books, Harry Frankfurt’s On Truth and Fear of Knowledge by Paul Boghossian. Both authors challenges the postmoderns and relativists who’ve been insidiously undermining the concept and practice of objectivity, and each in his own way offer valuable, spirited defenses of reason.

Robert Jones is attracting a grown fan base for his excellent film reviews. This month, his fans will have the treat of hearing all about two recent must-sees: Rocky Balboa and The Pursuit of Happyness. From what Robert tells us, it seems to me that there are thematic parallels running through the films: both are inspiring “Cinderella” stories featuring ordinary men who have to overcome incredible odds and daunting challenges to reach their dreams. That’s just the sort of thing I want to feature in The New Individualist.

My closing “Soliloquy” is about a real-life story that sounded creepily familiar to me when I read it…and then I recalled that it mirrored events in one of my favorite novels. Probably one of your favorite novels, too. You’ll see what I mean.

I hope that you, and all the new people seeing this magazine for the first time, enjoy what’s in the following pages.

I certainly did. But then, I’m prejudiced.