Once again, public opinion polls have disappointed isolationists and others who want the United States to have a minimalist foreign policy. Almost overnight, a large swath of America now wants to counter Russia, and elected officials who want to keep their jobs have responded.

The New Right cannot be bothered with foreign threats because they are rationing political capital for an ideological fight at home. That’s bad enough. Even worse, they seem less interested in transcending tyranny and more interested in learning from it.

Late last year, Adrian Vermeule published “‘It Can’t Happen’; Or, the Poverty of Political Imagination,” an article that critiques what he calls the “futility trope” used by conservative critics of postliberalism.

Rather than taking each other’s strongest arguments, people arguing over Catholic Integralism often defeat straw men or completely dodge arguments. This does not advance the conversation so that learning and mutual edification may occur.

Integralism is confused because it misunderstands the epoch of history in which Christians now live. Jesus is king, yes, but a long tradition of theology understands that Jesus’ kingdom has been inaugurated, though not yet consummated in full.