Signs Of The Times ...

Here's a grimly funny symptom of conservatism's intellectual decay: Blogger Matt Lewis recently appeared on BloggingheadsTV to explain why Ross Douthat, Reihan Salam, and myself do not count as "true conservatives." How does Lewis decide who is and who is not a "true" conservative? In this clip, Lewis essays a definition:

If you want to know the definition of conservatism, Wikipedia has a really good thing on Russell Kirk, actually laid out, what is a conservative. I'll have the link posted. There are several bullet points, for those who are interested ....

The list Lewis has in mind appears in the conclusion of The Conservative Mind, a very interesting book that I recommend Lewis pick up someday when his blogging duties allow him time. (My own essay on Kirk can be read here, for those interested....) In the meantime, let me advance a definition of my own: "a Matt Lewis conservative" is a conservative who has not read the books he thinks he admires - and cannot even itemize the ideas he says he upholds.