“We are on the verge of losing the American idea,” says Tom Krannawitter, who cofounded The Vino & Veritas Society after teaching at numerous institutions, including Claremont McKenna College and Hillsdale College.
Krannawitter maintains that America’s “culture of nihilism” – out-of-control government regulation combined with increasing rates of social pathologies – is unsustainable. Our capacity for self-government is being tested.
Krannawitter believes that while private schools and think tanks have important roles to play in recovering the American way of life, a void nevertheless remains. He points to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence during the hot Philadelphia summer of 1776: “In pivotal moments that call for decisive political action, strangers don’t make those kinds of pledges.”
A revival of American self-government depends on rekindling civic friendship among the people. “Liberty-minded, patriotic Americans who are concerned about their country – including parents, teachers, and business owners – need a place where they can build relationships with each other,” he argues.
Krannawitter and David Rich, who has created and distributed content for Fortune 500 companies, founded The Vino & Veritas Society to establish such a network of active citizens focused on recovering the American idea. Through chapters that meet both in-person and online, members enjoy convivial conversations, often over drinks, regarding how to restore American principles and civic virtues in their neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
Each VVS chapter is a “community of friends” working together to practice the best rhetorical strategies for engaging their families, neighbors, and co-workers on the essential goodness of America. This work is captured in VVS’s motto “nos sumus costodes,” a Latin phrase that can be translated, “We are the guardians.” As Krannawitter writes, “In its simplest meaning, we are the guardians of the American idea – the idea that each and every human being has a natural right to his own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.”
VVS has recently revamped its operations, including an updated website. Though non-members can read insightful political and philosophical commentary, including Krannawitter’s recent review of a book about his teacher Harry V. Jaffa, members receive many more benefits. Paying $7.76 per month (those interested can sign up here), members have access to a growing library of content and opportunities to foster friendships with fellow citizens.
The VVS website’s members-only area offers a curated news feed, information on nearby chapters, and a forum featuring frank discussions about politics and ideas. Members also get access to the Academy, which offers online seminars taught by experienced and engaging scholars, nearly 100 podcasts, and case studies that examine a specific historical or philosophic issue in detail every month.
Krannawitter notes that VVS will begin hosting live-streamed happy hours on its website. These gatherings will focus on provocative and relevant topics such as the myth of the party switch during the 1960s. Additionally, a VVS app will soon be available, both for iPhone and Android users, so members can take its content with them wherever they go.
Krannawitter and Rich originally wanted to build out chapters city by city, but they discovered that “people were already meeting without chapters being founded,” as Rich notes. Now, members can request to start a chapter anywhere and are free to run it as they wish, whether online or in-person.
According to Krannawitter, VVS stresses the civic virtues required for self-government, such as hard work and the self-improvement necessary to build a successful business. “Entrepreneurs shouldn’t be ashamed of their success,” he contends. “Instead, we should change our mindset and applaud productive citizens who improve their communities by being productive and self-reliant.”
Though it is a private business, The Vino & Veritas Society offers an opportunity for individuals to donate to its cause.
Long-term, Krannawitter hopes that “100 years from now, there are still chapters where liberty lovers go to meet like-minded people to deepen their understanding of American Founding principles.” By working to revive those principles, along with the civic friendship needed to sustain them, The Vino & Veritas Society hopes to restore the American experiment in self-government.
Mike Sabo is the editor of RealClear’s American Civics portal.