Sheldon Richman on the passing of William F. Buckley Jr.:
Looking over his rich biography, I can’t help but take away the impression that one of his goals in life was to make the pro-liberty, anti-state movement safe – unthreatening to the establishment. …
The primary consequence of his long career (which included a stint in the CIA) was to seduce budding radical libertarians into an insipid “hip” conservatism that functioned largely as a defender of big business and the intrusive national-security state.
To be fair, Buckley did speak some truth to power in his last years, though not when his dissent could have made a real difference.
To be fair, Buckley did speak some truth to power in his last years, though not when his dissent could have made a real difference.
Yeah, so did Robert McNamara but its too late.
In the summer of ‘02 one could read in The American Conservative or American Free Press how most of the intelligence community had written off the administration’s “intelligence” as pre-packaged lies from Iraqi exiles, Israeli intell. ( by way of Italian Intell in the case of the Yellowcake-Niger fable )…etc, etc..A blind man could see that to this crowd in the White House 9-11 was looked upon as an opportunity-not a tragedy…Not for a second-I do believe that..
People like Buckley and Mrs. Clinton were rolled by the neo-cons because on some level they share their imperialistic arrogance and ignorance…And arrogance and ignorance makes for bad foreign policy…
The Christians ( really everyone ) in Iraq have suffered..the Afghans are suffering the effects of our DU tipped Daisy Cutters ( new birth defects not seen before..The American soldiers and Marines have suffered horribly…But the Likudniks, the war profiteers are happy…And the Anglo-American oil co.’s are licking their chops. But someone as smart as Buckley couldn’t see this coming?
Mr. Patriot sat their as the neo-cons turned my US Marine Corps into the Israeli Foreign Legion and uttered not a peep..
As one who looked forward to Buckley’s interview show in the 60s and 70s, I often thought since those days that he appeared smarter and more profound than he really was. The use of “big words” often hid rather poor arguments. He was instrumental in building a cold war conservatism that came to peaceful terms with most of the welfare state. In the 1950s he rejected Robert Taft as out of date. But Taft understood so much better than Buckley the dangers to liberty inherent in the warfare state. And then Buckley was seduced by fame and the “need” to be acceptable in polite soociety. He loved hanging out with influential people who had the ear of those in power, be they conservative or not. He had an real need for acceptability by the rich and famous. As to his Catholicism, let me just say that I remember his attack in National Review of the Encyclical Letter of John XXIII. The Encyclical was titled Mater and Magistra (Mother and Teacher). His editorial was entitled Mater,Si; Magistra,No. One of the best titles ever! He did have some libertarian streaks, however. For example,he was in favor of drug legalization even as far back as the 60s when the drug in the news was heroin. He also supported Milton Friedman’s calls for a voluntary military. But he could not bring himself to give up his support of the quagmire of Vietnam. He did, however, say that he was wrong in supporting the Iraq War — but somehow that never came across loudly.
I too have been very disappointed in the behavior and often lies of William Buckley, but may he rest in peace.