Whither Burke?

Edmund Burke's Wikipedia page is not particularly impressive. It consists of a biography, a summary of his positions on the American and French Revolutions, and a "legacy" section that contains mostly quotes from his admirers and critics. There is little about his thought that is not tied up in specifics. Ludwig Wittgenstein's page appears to be at least five times as long.

It would be a lot to ask college students, who seem to detest anything that could possibly be labeled 'conservative', to read Burke. It is not a lot to ask the philosophic and academic communities to give him the time of day. And it could only help the state of conservative discourse in this country to heed Burke as a starting point before we get into whatever it is we've been getting ourselves into.

Italian Unification was achieved by a brain, a heart and a sword. There is not a lack of the latter in American conservatism, for it would be hasty to say that much air has been let out of our status as a center-right nation of, largely, patriots. There is plenty of the former. Those of us initially attracted to conservatism because of its empirical aims have more data than we can parse to use against opponents of a flat tax, or sound money or the surge. The American Enterprise Institute and Heritage Foundation, last I checked, are still productive.

But Giuseppe Mazzini's arrival continuously eludes us. We have endorsed and supported McCain-Palin for more than a few reasons, many of which we may discuss in the next two weeks (full disclosure: the author has been associated with the campaign). There is little doubt in our mind that McCain-Palin is the less expensive, more responsible and generally preferable option. Still, no one has prioritized reestablishing a foothold in an intellectual tradition that, ultimately, provides the soil for conservative policy ideals. Some of us saw the plants flourish and looked for the seeds, but for most conservatives the process is more linear. It makes more sense.

What is the reason that conservatives seek high office? Do they want to talk about people, to people or with people? Where does our seriousness come from? And what are the implications of our thought?

I see John McCain and Sarah Palin every night. Where is Edmund Burke?