Free speech

No, the title is not a sarcastic response to some newly proposed Patriot Act provision that will slightly inconvenience about .000000001 percent of the population as George W. Hitler continues his American civil liberties "holycaust".   It's literally about free speech, as in speech that costs nothing to obtain. 

I'm referring to the wealth of free political print publications (liberal, conservative, libertarian, progressive) that can be found on the Internet.  Some of them are no strings attached trial issues, others are subscription offers that allow you to cancel after a certain number of issues without any financial obligations.  Below you will find part 1 of a list I'm putting together of the various titles you may sample.  (These will eventually be posted on my yet-to-be created website.)  I've omitted magazines that require upfront payment but offer full refunds:  they still have your money for a certain period of time, so it isn't truly free.   None of the offers cited require the entry of credit card numbers, either.  Just ask them to bill you instead.  All offers current as of June/July 2004.  So let us begin:  
 
National Journal
 
Described by conservative columnist George F. Will as "non-partisan", this weekly magazine has been cited in many recent articles for its ranking of John Kerry as the most liberal member of the Senate.  (His impeccably coiffed love interest, John Edwards, came in fourth.)  I'd go along with the "non-partisan" description if the magazine largely consisted of primary sources (speeches, hearings, statements, etc.), but it has feature stories and opinion pieces, so the label doesn't quite fit.  It does cover Congressional news closer than most publications, and doesn't appear to have a significant bias towards either side, so it's recommended for political afficionados on both the left and the right. 
 
If nothing else, why not try it out for the sheer novelty value?  The National Journal is not available on newsstands,  back issues are $24.95 each, and the yearly "basic standing order subscription rate" is $1,699(!).  Realistically speaking, it's virtually unobtainable.  The trial lasts for 4 issues, and does not require you to mess around with invoices.  It is likely, however, that they will phone you to see if you have received your complimentary issues and/or have any questions.  (While this is an uncommon practice among givers of trial subscriptions, I should note that the customer service representative was nice and the phone call brief.)  You may request another free trial six months after the completion of your first, and then another six months after that, and another, and so on.  Yes, this is the gift that keeps on giving.
 
The Nation

The Nation is a far-left weekly (bi-weekly in late summer) that has been serving up "unconvential wisdom since 1865". (Their phrase, not mine.) Like the National Journal, the trial subscription lasts four issues, but you will be invoiced. The regular subscription rate is 24 (4 free plus 20 not-free) issues for $18 or 47 (4 free plus 43 un-free) issues for $29.97.
 
National Review
 
Founded by one of the fathers of the modern conservative movement (William F. Buckley), the National Review is a solidly conservative bi-weekly publication featuring some of the best conservative writers around (Buckley, Mark Steyn, Jay Nordlinger, David Frum, Victor Davis Hanson, etc.)  You get 4 free isssues, and if you don't write cancel on the invoice and send it back, you're in the hole for almost a year's worth of issues and $29.50. 
 
In These Times
 
Whomever coined the phrase "the loony left" might have had this publication in mind.  Nevertheless, it's a free isssue with no strings attached (no invoices or anything), and it doesn't get any easier than that. 
 
Conservative Chronicle 
 
Conservative Chronicle is a weekly, 32-page newspaper that reprints an average of 40 opinion columns and political cartoons from American syndication services.  Contributors include George F. Will, Ann Coulter, William F. Buckley, Pat Buchanan, Cal Thomas, and others.  (There is also a liberal equivalent, Liberal Opinion Week, but I haven't received my sample issue yet, so I'll refrain from commenting further.)  As with In These Times, it's one sample issue, no strings attached.  Of the freebies I have received thus far, this one arrived the fastest, in just under a week. 

The Navigator

I came across this via a list of libertarian links, so using my awesome powers of deduction, I'm going to assume that it has "libertarian appeal". The Navigator is a publication of The Objectivist Center, an organization dedicated to furthering the principles expressed in the works of author Ayn Rand. It's a slim little publication, and you only get one freebie, but hey, you don't have to subscribe, so I can't OBJECT to that!!!  HAR!  HAR!  HAR!

I'm such a hack.

Anyway, those are the six that I have received thus far.  Actually, the number is seven, but The Economist's trial subscription offer came in the form of a pop-up ad, and I haven't been able to find another source for it.  (You can look around The Economist's website if you want, but I don't see it there.)  Part 2 of this will be posted when my other freebies arrive, hopefully sooner than later. 

-Dave O'Connell