Dear Readers,
It has been my pleasure to serve as managing editor of Taki’s Top Drawer since its early planning stages in December, 2006, and its birth online in February 2007. In that time, we have grown from zero to almost 45,000 unique visitors and almost 230,000 page views per month. We have introduced some important conservative writers to a wider audience, including A. Millar, Charles Coulombe, Frank Purcell and Patrick Foy, among others. We have been honored by the contributions of distinguished authors such as Paul Gottfried, Scott Richert, and Justin Raimondo, as well as stalwarts like R.J. Stove, John Zmirak, Dan McCarthy, Daniel Larison, Richard Poe, Andrei Navrozov, Robert Spencer, along with too many other fine writers to name. And Taki’s Top Drawer will continue in this vein, increasing and expanding its coverage.

But it will do so without me. As of the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord (Jan. 6, for you Cthulu worshippers) I am embarking for an extended trip to my beloved Old Europe and will not have the leisure to manage this growing site—and proudly pass the reins to Taki’s carefully handpicked choice, Richard Spencer, formerly of The American Conservative. Richard is based in the D.C. area, and is better placed to provide political reportage during this turbulent (and apart from Ron Paul, dispiriting) presidential campaign. I am sure you will enjoy his contributions, and benefit from his political expertise and editing skill. God’s blessings upon you all. Please allow me to close with what is for me a patriotic song:

1. Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze
Unsern Kaiser, unser Land!
Mächtig durch des Glaubens Stütze
Führt er uns mit weiser Hand!
Laßt uns seiner Väter Krone
Schirmen wider jeden Feind:
Innig bleibt mit Habsburgs Throne
Österreichs Geschick vereint.

2. Fromm und bieder, wahr und offen
Laßt für Recht und Pflicht uns stehn;
Laßt, wenns gilt, mit frohem Hoffen
Mutvoll in den Kampf uns gehn!
Eingedenk der Lorbeerreiser
Die das Heer so oft sich wand:
Gut und Blut für unsern Kaiser,
Gut und Blut fürs Vaterland!

3. In Verbannung, fern den Landen
Weilst Du, Hoffnung Österreichs.
Otto, treu in festen Banden
Steh”€™n zu Dir wir felsengleich.
Dir, mein Kaiser, sei beschieden
Alter Ruhm und neues Glück!
Bring den Völkern endlich Frieden,
Kehr zur Heimat bald zurück!