After a series of scandals, former conservative shooting-star Sebastian Kurz has fallen from grace. But instead of showing personal accountability, he became the latest example of an ex-politician landing softly in advisory boards of multinational companies and NGOs.
At $1.0943 per euro on March 14th, the dollar stood at its strongest against the European currency since April 2019.
The same experience with Soviet hegemony that has rendered Central European states immune, at some level, to the kind of decadence Western leadership favors, also led them to suspect Russia’s intentions.
“No adult group escapes the eye of Them Before Us. It is an organization that insists that all adults—single, married, gay, and straight—all sacrifice for children. No adult gets a pass. Every adult has to do the hard things, so that children’s rights are protected.”—Katy Faust
In a recent interview Viktor Orbán urged European politicians to work towards peace in Ukraine by using “strategic calm: to speak sparingly, but then to speak precisely and responsibly.”
Far from what the label suggests, humanist weddings do not free spouses to live in accordance with truth. The reconquest of freedom is at the heart of Christian marriage, which for centuries has been one of the original features and strengths of Western civilisation.
Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers’ speech in the European Parliament on Putin and Ukraine: “Forcing millions to flee and tearing families apart is incompatible with ‘family values.'”
French President Emmanuel Macron was keen to display a smiling optimism by answering questions in English to international journalists in Versailles; a few minutes later, he was grave and serious in his address to French journalists, commenting in exactly the opposite terms.
Conservatives, of course, are aware of the urgent need to reduce the bureaucratic machine to a minimum. But in the quest to devolve governance to the local level, we must not forget the existential dignity of the penniless castaways generated by the oligarchic system.
The outbreak of war in Ukraine has caused an identity crisis in Europe. Yesterday’s pacifism turned into today’s belligerence in a heartbeat, all the while avoiding the geopolitical elephant in the room in favor of moral indignation. This should be a wake-up call.
Consider what Europe will look like if Russia wins, or loses, the war in Ukraine. Obtaining reliable information, in this case, is nearly impossible. To navigate these uncertain times, the best guidance may be found in the old-school academic discipline of political economy.
The highlight of the Common Sense Society event was the presentation to Jordan Peterson of its inaugural Sir Roger Scruton Award.
