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National Conservatism’s Great Divide
Last week, hundreds of conservatives gathered in Washington, DC for the fifth annual National Conservatism Conference. In past years, conference speakers urged conservatives to gather around an America First vision to combat the radical agenda of the ruling elites on the Left. But with Trump in the White House and wokeism falling out of fashion, the national conservative movement no longer shares a common enemy as strongly as it once did.
In an article [ [link removed] ]for UnHerd, James Billot highlights the division at the heart of the national conservative movement. Rather than gaining momentum after Trump’s 2024 victory, the NatCon movement has become embroiled in a civil war. Billot suggests that the deepest fault lines lie between pro-Israel hawks and foreign policy realists. This division has always existed in the national conservative coalition—formed from the start by a diverse group of factions—but the wars in Gaza and Iran have made it impossible to ignore the tension any longer.
Although NatCon leaders attempted to foster dialogue between the pro-Israel advocates and the realists, Billot and other attendees were left wondering whether real reconciliation is possible on such a divisive issue. Read the rest of Billot’s coverage of the 2025 NatCon conference here [ [link removed] ].
Disney World and the American Dream
A recent New York Times article titled “Disney and the Decline of America’s Middle Class [ [link removed] ]” has garnered attention on social media. The guest author followed 60-year-old single mother and bus driver Scarlett Cressel and her family on a Disney World trip made possible by years of careful budgeting. Cressel hoped to share with her grandchildren the magical experiences she remembered from childhood visits to Disney World, but instead she found that most of that “Disney magic” was now reserved for the biggest spenders.
In a Substack response [ [link removed] ], Peachy Keenan suggests the NYT article resonated among readers because it captured the “all-American caste system”—the same caste system J.D. Vance depicted in Hillbilly Elegy that helped propel Trump’s surprise victory in 2016. Disney executives recognized that they could maximize profits by catering to the ultra-wealthy who can afford a premier experience. Never mind that it comes at the expense of the working-class Americans who grew up dreaming of Disney trips.
People like Scarlett Cressel, Keenan notes, are the “forgotten men and women” who supported Trump because he was one of the few Americans in power who acknowledged their plight. Read the rest of Keenan’s article here [ [link removed] ].
Compendium
Every article we feature here is available to read for free. Articles from paywalled publications are available through gift links.
Ben Shapiro on Charlie Kirk’s legacy [ [link removed] ] in The Free Press.
Glenn Harland Reynolds on the media blackout after Iryna Zarutska’s murder [ [link removed] ] on his Substack.
Hannah Rowan, ISI’s managing editor of Modern Age, on the processed protein business [ [link removed] ] in The Dispatch.
Evie Solheim on recent antidepressant misinformation [ [link removed] ] in The American Conservative.
Calley Means on chronic disease and the CDC [ [link removed] ] in Moment of Truth podcast.
Jake Scott on Britain’s free speech crackdowns [ [link removed] ] in Foundation for Economic Education.
Daniel Bring on the politicization of higher education [ [link removed] ] in Commonplace.
Richard Hughes Gibson on the limitations of AI translators [ [link removed] ]in The Hedgehog Review.
Alex McCann on the myth of the corporate job [ [link removed] ] in Still Wandering.
Upcoming ISI Events
If you enjoy what you’re reading here, we invite you to engage with ISI at one of our upcoming in-person events.
William F. Buckley, Jr.: Conservative or Libertarian? [ [link removed] ] | September 16 | Cambridge, MA
ISI and the National Review Institute will host a debate to honor the centennial of William F. Buckley Jr., asking if he was more conservative or libertarian and what his legacy means for today’s political coalitions.
Homecoming Weekend [ [link removed] ] | September 19–20 | Wilmington, DE
ISI invites you to our Wilmington, DE campus this September for a weekend of fellowship, learning, and spirited conversation. Students, professors, alumni, and friends from across the country will gather to explore this year’s theme—Golden Age Mindset: How to Restore Western Civilization.
American Politics and Government Summit [ [link removed] ] | October 9–11 | Wilmington, DE
This annual scholarly conference examines the theme Statesmanship and Leadership in the Age of Mass Society and draws on timeless thinkers to address modern challenges. The summit is open to the public, offering rigorous discussion across history, politics, literature, and related fields.
Visit our events [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]page on our website to see all upcoming events.
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This week, from ISI’s Digital Media:
Classical sculptor Sabin Howard joins [ [link removed] ]ISI President and CEO Johnny Burtka to champion a new American cultural renaissance rooted in beauty, agency, and unity. He reflects on the creation of the National World War I Memorial’s “A Soldier’s Journey,” revealing behind-the-scenes stories of global competitions, veteran sitters, and the years of technical and bureaucratic challenges.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel [ [link removed] ] for more content like this.
This week, from the Collegiate Network:
ISI’s Collegiate Network [ [link removed] ] supports over 80 student-run publications across the country, empowering students to run independent college newspapers, magazines, and journals that report on important issues ignored by the mainstream media.
The Nietzsche Niche: Triumph over the Winter [ [link removed] ] via The Lemur
A reflection on Nietzsche as he turns philosophy into a riotous feast—mixing Roman revelry, Job’s despair, and the dare to embrace life so fully you’d choose to live it all over again.
“It Doesn’t Have to be This Way:” Indy Students Protest Gun Violence in National Walkout [ [link removed] ] via The Indiana Commons
Indianapolis teens walked out of class and stormed the Statehouse, blasting lax gun laws and demanding real action to stop the violence haunting their schools.
Now’s the Time to Revert to Timeless Classical Education [ [link removed] ] via The New Guard Press
Schools have traded timeless virtue for job training and test scores; it’s time to return to ancient wisdom and moral formation.
Do Good, Be Brave, Pursue the Truth, and Keep the Faith [ [link removed] ] via The Irish Rover
A Holy Cross priest urges Notre Dame students to tune out campus conformity, tackle adversity with faith, and chase a life of wisdom and purpose instead of a mere career checklist.
Can the University of Chicago Regain Its Formerly Prestigious Ranking for Freedom of Speech? [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]via The Chicago Thinker
UChicago’s free-speech crown has slipped after protest chaos and a conservative club clash, but students and new initiatives aim to win it back.
Visit our Student Journalism section [ [link removed] ] to read more from the Collegiate Network.
Great Books, Great Education?
In today’s higher education landscape, where many colleges prioritize activism over education, an emphasis on Great Books can signal that a college is truly serious about learning. Yet, while carefully reading primary texts and grappling with complex ideas is important, some believe the concept of Great Books is less traditional than it appears.
In this week’s article [ [link removed] ]from Modern Age, Catholic professor Frederick D. Wilhelmsen argues that, in his field of philosophy in particular, the Great Books method actually represents a departure from traditional teaching methods. He advocates for a return to the scholastic method of philosophical instruction, which focuses on “mastery of subjects and the acquisition of habits in pursuit of that mastery.” Although primary texts play an important role in scholastic approach, they are considered secondary to the ideas themselves, with greater emphasis on teaching students to think philosophically “about the real.”
Wilhelmsen suggests that the scholastic method better prepares students to practice philosophy, equipping them to join a living tradition of thought rather than merely read—however carefully—the works of historic philosophers. Read the rest of Wilhelmsen’s essay here [ [link removed] ]on the Modern Age website.
Modern Age is ISI’s flagship publication. Visit modernagejournal.com [ [link removed] ] and subscribe for a free daily newsletter.
“Whenever people ask me what I’d most like to change about the white working class, I say, ‘The feeling that our choices don’t matter.’”
– J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

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