Campus Blueprint Disappoints

To preface, let me say that I believe it is possible to articulate rational and convincing arguments for the liberal position. I always enjoy Mr. Pattishall’s comments for that very reason. An argument must force one to think deeply about the matter and consider one’s own beliefs to be taken seriously. (At the end of the day, however, I believe conservatism wins simply because it more fully understands human nature.)

That being said, Campus Blueprint fails abysmally to make the case for liberalism, for which I am disappointed (it would be nice to have a true foil for Carolina Review). The first general critique is that the articles are intellectually vacuous, which (in fairness) may be a product of the fact that they are horrendously short. You can’t develop a thesis in a half-page article, at least to the extent that one can persuade someone of your argument. Unless the purpose of Campus Blueprint is to merely regurgitate what everyone on campus is thinking anyway…

Second, the tone of the articles is noticeably eristic and full of snide remarks that unnecessarily detract from the overall argument. References to Sarah Palin’s facebook messages on completely unrelated topics are just tasteless.

Third, each article reveals a deep misunderstanding of conservatism (most tellingly in the satirical column towards the end). But it fits in the general thrust of the argumentation by Campus Blueprint: they do not seem to be engaged in a debate of ideas, but merely of personalities.  Repeating generalities or worn critiques of shallow politicians shows, to a certain extent, a lack of seriousness in approaching these weighty topics that deserve a higher level of discussion than what Campus Blueprint has been able to offer.

Perhaps it is merely a reflection of the modern-day liberal movement. Conservatism has long been the only philosophical tradition that offers any new policy ideas about the issues of the day. For all the supposed “freshness” of Obama, he is merely repeating liberal talking points since the 1960s. Where are the Heritage, Cato, or American Enterprise Institutes of the left? While neoconservatism is (rightly) much maligned, it still offered a new take on conservative principles. The left remains (ironically enough) statist in its thought, which is tragic. Hopefully we’ll see a new Campus Blueprint with the coming of the new semester.