COLLECTION II
Published October 3, 2025
Letter from the Editor & Publisher
Dear Readers and Old Friends,
When we began planning the new version of this magazine, many questions were left up in the air. Should we have fewer long-form essays and more punchy op-eds? What about publishing views we strongly disagree with? Despite leaving several of these questions unanswered, our past experience had made one thing crystal clear: We would only publish articles that we feel proud of, or even love.
While such a choice may seem obvious, the temptation to lower the bar is always creeping up on publishers of all sizes. In the relentless competition for ever-more clicks and shares, victory is measured in quantity at the expense of quality. As you may have noticed, the pathology has infected many once esteemed publications.
To ward off moments of weakness, we gave ourselves permission to publish just one new article per month. It is therefore a welcome surprise that the second issue came together as quickly as it did. In Collection II, you will encounter articles dealing with timeless subjects that shape the conversation today, as well as subjects that have been unfairly overlooked. In keeping with our tradition of engaging with established figures as well as up-and-comers, we are pleased to share our interviews with both America's leading legal theorist and a Christian pioneer on Wall Street.
Thank you for reading with us.
With gratitude,
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
The Perennial Allure of Political Violence
Writing from across the Atlantic, Gerfried Ambrosch condemns both the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the disturbing celebrations that followed, ending with a forceful defense of free expression.
Interviews
☩ Alan Dershowitz: On His Magnum Opus, The Preventive State
☩ The Man Who Dared to Imagine If God Were an Investor
Essays
▸ Learn more about Merion West.Power & Policy
We Ought Not Tolerate Reckless Driving
Our editor-in-chief argues that reckless driving must be treated as the urgent social ill that it is. Driving is dangerous enough already, and those who wantonly flout traffic safety need to be consistently held accountable.
Erich J. Prince
The Machiavellian Keir Starmer
British writer Seamus Flaherty, channeling Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund’s new book, dissects the Machiavellian approach British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has brought to his political career and now premiership.
Seamus Flaherty
Who Pays for “Free” Speech?
Law professor Eric Heinze reminds us that for all the rhetoric about free speech, demonstrations and protests often impose on the public costs of millions of dollars.
Eric Heinze
From Austerity to Arms: Europe’s Recurring Escape from Deflationary Paralysis
Europe’s turn from austerity to rearmament recalls an older pattern: economic stagnation broken by military spending. This essay traces the parallels—and the risks—for the European Union’s future.
Ioannis Mademlis
Explore other poems in the Poetry section
More from Collection II
Why We Should Reacquaint Ourselves with William Blake
Mark Vernon, the author of a recent book on William Blake, urges us to rediscover the wisdom contained in the writings and artwork of the great British polymath.
Mark Vernon
The State Sovereignty Question Again Rears Its Head
Tom McDonough argues that Governor JB Pritzker’s recent appeal to “state sovereignty” misreads the Constitution. Revisiting the works of Orestes Brownson, McDonough warns that treating the Constitution as a tool of convenience risks reviving old errors about sovereignty and federal authority.
Tom McDonough
Revisiting “The Classical Liberal Case for Israel”
Walter E. Block and Alan G. Futerman’s book, which was published in 2021, has taken on ever greater import since the October 7th attacks. In this essay, historian Paul Gottfried questions some of the book’s assumptions and its use of history.
Paul Gottfried
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