12/23/2006
It now seems probable National Review, and more particularly The Corner, its charmingly adolescent blogging stronghold of hyperactive news junkies, is indeed going to go through the season with no mention of the War on Christmas events this year. Kathryn Jean Lopez [send her mail]was actually declaring editorial policy three weeks ago. This, of course means the magazine is ignoring what is clearly turning out to be perhaps the most remarkable grassroots revival on a social conservative issue since the 1970s. One which started at National Review, albeit under totally different leadership, over ten years ago.However, NR has not forgotten Christmas. In 2001, a VDARE.com correspondent remarked:
Did you notice the huge change in the National Review Online Christmas edition this year? (Not that they can quite bring themselves to call it that.)Last year we were welcomed to NRO’s 'Holiday Edition', this year there is a "Christmas Greeting from NRO’s staff " (WFB must be in a patriarchal mood). Last year the only article of spiritual substance was David Kopel’s essay on Hanukkah, this year there are several
In 2006, the home page carries the message
Merry Christmas from NRO!
and there are three different Christmas essay collections totaling fourteen separate items. Isn’t that nice?
No.
The lead group of Christmas essays is entitled Christmas At War consists of six evocations of Christmastime in various wars, two recalling the War between the States, three WWII and one a medley of more recent soldier’s memories.
Our 2001 correspondent was prescient about that year’s modest revival of Christmas at NR :
At first, I was delighted: the NR editors obviously have become aware of your gentle ribbing. But then I recalled a Richard Brookhiser article (which I can no longer find) about the demise of the WASPs, concluding to the effect that the WASPs had been banished to the background until they are needed to fight the next war. And I recall that the Soviet regime attacked by Hitler summoned an explosion of films and song on patriotic themes, banned for a generation.Could it be that the NR staff are just in a martial mood?
Earlier this month, seeing Lopez burning NRO’s War on Christmas Draft Card, I wondered if a post election Iraq retreat was possible. Perhaps so did the NR hacks. But now the answer is clear.
The Surge is coming. Orders have gone out from NeoCon Central: mobilize the serfs. Use this Christmas thing. Just not where we have to listen to it.
This is a content archive of VDARE.com, which Letitia James forced off of the Internet using lawfare.