(Daily Signal)—The work of a statesman is to identify a problem that no one else has seen and courageously step forward to fix it, said the author of the book “Gateway to Statesmanship.”
John Burtka is the president of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, commonly known as “ISI,” an organization cofounded by William F. Buckley Jr. that promotes conservative thought on college campuses by teaching the core ideas behind the free market, the American Founding, and Western civilization. Burtka spoke on “The Kevin Roberts Show” about the issue of statesmanship and bringing honor to the world of politics.
He said that 10 years ago, conservatives were more accepted in the mainstream but that they acted as a “pet conservative,” an oddity whose only purpose was to go on talk shows and newspapers and editorialize their “strange” traditionalist positions.
Currently, the “pet conservative” has been all but lost in big news stations and publications, he said. This is partly because the “mainstream” has become far more left-leaning.
Despite this, Burtka believes America’s situation is surprisingly better than it was. “I actually feel better about America’s position today than I did four years ago,” he commented. “And to some extent, that’s because things are worse than they were four years ago.”
He reasoned that the world has become so hostile to conservatism, it actually empowers conservatives to fight back.
The solution to conservatives’ political estrangement is leaders with moral clarity. Burtka said that great leaders “transcend their political moment and they unite the common people towards more permanent ends than politics.”
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts asked the author what America’s biggest downfall is. Burtka responded that the U.S. has a “spiritual problem.” He said in order to fix the issue, great leaders need to move society closer to “God, Himself.” This, he said, leads a society to greatness.
Political leaders need to unite everyone toward a higher end, he said, and that ultimate end is God.
Burtka pointed to profound moral leaders of the past as a guide, especially Cicero, the ancient Roman philosopher and statesman.
“Cicero describes what he calls a shortcut to greatness,” the ISI president explained. In brief, Burtka said that shortcut is to “fake it till you make it.”
“Start dressing like that person [you want to become] and start talking like them,” Burtka explained. “Start reading the things that they would be reading. … Start surrounding yourself with people that are virtuous, … because the reality is that you sort of almost have to trick yourself.”
He expressed hope in the America of today because he sees many patriots across the country as “bastions of light,” and those bastions are “fed up” with the path the U.S. is on and are ready for change. “I think your everyday American is ready for something new.”
Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
