Quotable notable quotes no more
One of my favourite writers, William F. Buckley Jr, died yesterday at the age of 82. The founder, more than half a century ago, of the National Review, Buckley was a cheerful wit, an astute intellectual, a shrewd commentator and an articulate writer. The scourge of leftish sympathies in academia, elite society and the mainstream media, Buckley was a thinking conservative in the classical liberal tradition. He shunned the lunatic fringes of isolationism and protectionism, abhorred communism and totalitarianism, and espoused individual liberty and economic freedom. His passion and popularity made him perhaps the most influential post-war conservative of all, building an intellectual basis that would find its apogee only in the 1980s.
Ronald Reagan once asked Buckley what position he might like in the administration. Deadpan, he replied, “ventriloquist”. I think he got the job.
Other than the original announcement in the National Review, linked to above, notable obituaries and reactions include:
Up from Liberalism, on the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page.
William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82, by Douglas Martin at the New York Times.
William F. Buckley Jr., in The Times Online.
Conrad Black on William F. Buckley Jr., by, ahem, Conrad Black, in the National Post.
A remarkable man, by Joe Lieberman.
Shades of gray and Blackie, by Mark Steyn.
Bill was a great American, by John McCain.
But perhaps he is best remembered in his own words:
“Though liberals do a great deal of talking about hearing other points of view, it sometimes shocks them to learn that there are other points of view.”
“The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.”
“I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University.”
“Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.”
“Government can’t do anything for you except in proportion as it can do something to you.”
And finally, what more can a mere mortal say about Buckley, when he said it all himself in a New York Times Book Review article on writing speedily? “I am, I fully grant, a phenomenon, but not because of any speed in composition,” he declared modestly. “I asked myself the other day, ‘Who else, on so many issues, has been so right so much of the time?’ I couldn’t think of anyone.”
And neither can I. As the WSJ said, Ave atque vale, Bill Buckley. Hail and farewell.
Dear Ivo
Thanks for the article on the recent death of William Buckley - your blog is one of the few mentions in the South African media; the only other (that I found by dint of an internet search confined to SA) was a passing reference to him in the “Citizen” newspaper.
That’s a sad commentary of the ignorance of newspapers in South Africa to an intellectual who helped shape the political philosophy in the US and which, in turn, brought down the evil empire of the Soviet Union.
On a personal level I shall miss his editorials in the “National Review”.
When I lived in North America, I was delighted by his wit on the TV programme “Firing Line” even when dealing with the serious issues of the day.
You’re right, he isn’t very well known here, even in media circles. I have on several occasions proposed toasts to his memory, only to find that half the time the response is, “Bill who?” One hopes that his passing will recall some of his writing, around the world. He certainly deserves a fair measure of fame.