Episode 57 – Russell Kirk, Eccentric Genius with Bradley Birzer
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Release Date: 04/21/2020
185 – Inventing Conservatism with Daniel J. Flynn
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Few forerunners of the modern conservative movement are as important, little known, and underappreciated as Frank Meyer. Meyer possessed the IT factor that made women want him and men want to be associated with him. He used that in his early years to advance Marxism in England—building an impressive Marxist organization that had the attention of UK’s government, dating the Prime Minister’s daughter while calling for the violent overthrow of the Prime Minister’s government, and becoming a national celebrity as the nation debated whether he should be exiled. But later...
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Roundtable - Is Trump A Fascist?
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Some Americans warn Trump's antics in this second term are flirting with fascism while others say that's totally whacked. So which is it? Is Trump a fascist or nothing of the kind? Join our livestream as our panelists engage over the topic. Panelists include: Josh Lewis (host), Mike Taylor, Blake Fischer, John Giokaris, Steve Phelps, and Kent Straith
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184 – Paradigming Phenomenological Essences with Steven Hayward
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Steven Hayward has been involved in so many conservative institutions and organizations it may be simpler to list where he hasn’t left a mark. This conservative man-about-town joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis as they unravel what it means to be a conservative, how Straussians might make peace with Burke, and why Josh shouldn’t be so critical of the Trump administration. About Steven Hayward Steven F. Hayward is a fellow of the Public Law and Policy Program at Berkeley Law and visiting professor in School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. Steven frequently...
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Roundtable - MAGA Mayhem
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The MAGA coalition is comprised of a wide spectrum whose sole unifying idea is Trump himself. But what happens when that precarious foundation begins to fray? Have recent events shown cracks in the MAGA world that could quickly fracture, or is this all a tempest in a teapot? Join Saving Elephant panelists during our livestream to make sense of it all. Panelists include: Josh Lewis (host), Ryan Rogers, Destry Edwards, Scott Howard, and Christopher Chesny
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183 – Conservative Conservationism with Stephen Perkins
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Younger Americans—regardless of their political affiliations—are increasingly supportive focusing on environmental and conservation issues. But while there may be renewed unity on recognizing the importance of such issues, the policies advocated by the Left and Right continue to differ. The (ACC) is a group of young Americans on the political Right standing up for action over activism in their approach to environmental reform. Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is ACC’s COO, Stephen Perkins, to discuss how economic prosperity and a clean environment don’t...
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182 – Partying Like It’s 1776
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
On July 6 Saving Elephants assembled an august team of commentators to commemorate the advent of the United States turning the big 2-4-9! With only one year to go until the nation is 250 years old, the group reflects on the foundational ideas of America, whether she's succeed or failed at those aspirations, and what the future holds for this most exceptional of nations. Meet the panelists: Lura Forcum Lura Forcum leads the , the nation’s go-to organization for information, research, and engagement with independent voters, representing those who are fed up with...
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181 – Escaping the Housing Trap with Chuck Marohn
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The housing market today is in an increasingly unsustainable paradox: younger Americans need houses to be more affordable so that they can become homeowners. Meanwhile, homeowners and the entire U.S. economy need houses to rise in price to make them a secure and profitable investment. Thus, we are trapped between making homeownership increasingly difficult or sinking the economy. Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by president of Strong Towns Chuck Marohn to discuss his latest book: . About Chuck Marohn From Charles Marohn (known as “Chuck” to friends and...
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180 – Uncap the House with Jeff Mayhugh
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
What if the surest way to reduce the harmful effects of self-serving politicians in Washington D.C. is to have more of them? Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Jeff Mayhugh to explain how the artificial “cap” the nation put on the number of representatives in the U.S. House almost a century ago has made government less representative and responsive. Returning to the Founding Father’s understanding of how people might best be represented by their leaders will require a lot of hard work, but it has the potential to benefit all Americans all across the political divide....
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179 – I, Tony with Tony Woodlief
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
What if the real division in America isn’t between Republicans and Democrats, Red States vs Blue States, or liberals and conservatives but between the American people and a small group of the political elite whose function is to divide the rest of us? Tony Woodlief joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to discuss how we may not be as divided as we think and how federalism holds the solution to many of the policy battles of the moment. About Tony Woodlief Excerpts from Tony’s bio in the and on his : Tony Woodlief is State Policy Network’s Senior Executive Vice...
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178 – Revolt of the Independents with Lura Forcum
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The 2024 presidential election witnessed a historic number of independent voters—more independents voted than Democrats and they came close to surpassing Republicans. It would seem that now is the time for those who are dissatisfied with both parties to dismantle the two-party duopoly of American government. And yet, the Republican and Democratic parties collectively control all branches of governments at all levels. Why is that? What would it mean for Americans to embrace an “independent” politics and how likely is that to occur? What do independent voters...
info_outlineRussell Kirk contributed more to modern American conservatism than arguably anyone else! Yet few who call themselves conservative today are familiar with the name “Kirk”—unless they’re referring to Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. No offense to Charlie but comparing him to Russell is like comparing the works of William Shakespeare to whatever the last thing Bill Mitchell tweeted.
Who was Russell Kirk? Why is he considered the father of American conservatism? What did he do that was so important? Does his message hold value for conservatives today? Why has his legacy been largely forgotten? Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by Bradley Birzer to answer these questions and more about this woefully underappreciated, unusually eccentric, and highly ingenious thinker from the twentieth century whose prolific writings still have much to say to us about the nature of conservatism in the twenty-first century. But aside from all that, Kirk is just a fascinating individual who wrote more than the average intelligent adult will read in their lifetime and was far more comfortable with mysticism, levitation, and cultish practices than you’d ever expect of someone considered the father of American conservatism!
Bradley J. Birzer, Ph.D. is a professor of history at Hillsdale where he is the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Fellow of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. He is the co-founder, editor at large, and senior contributor of The Imaginative Conservative, an on-line journal for those who seek the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, addressing culture, liberal learning, politics, political economy, literature, the arts, and the American Republic. Dr. Birzer also serves on the boards of the Free Enterprise Institute and The Center for Cultural Renewal and is a Fellow with the Foundation for Economic Education, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, The McConnell Center, and the Center for Economic Personalism (Brazil).
Dr. Birzer is author of several books, including: In Defense of Andrew Jackson, American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll, Sanctifying the World: The Augustinian Life and Mind of Christopher Dawson, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth, co-editor of The American Democrat and Other Political Writings by James Fenimore Cooper, and co-author of The American West. He is also the author of Russell Kirk: American Conservative, and is considered an authority on the life of Russell Kirk.
He and his wife (also Dr. Birzer) have seven children and divide their time between Michigan and Colorado.