The Incomparable Mr. Buckley | William F. Buckley, Jr. | Full Documentary | American Masters | PBS
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- Опубликовано: 10 окт 2024
- Official website: to.pbs.org/480... | #AmericanMastersPBS
Discover the intellectual evolution and political legacy of William F. Buckley, Jr. See how the author and commentator, one of the foremost public intellectuals in American history, galvanized the modern conservative movement.
You can watch the accessible version of this film with on-screen ASL interpretation here: • The Incomparable Mr. B...
You can also watch the accessible version of this film with audio description and open captions here: • The Incomparable Mr. B...
Chapters:
00:05:12 William F. Buckley, Jr.'s early life and childhood
00:10:21 Buckley's time at Yale University
00:14:21 Meeting and marrying his wife, Patricia Taylor
00:16:00 Writing his first book "God and Man at Yale"
00:23:45 Creating his magazine, National Review
00:27:22 Fostering conservatism in the youth with Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)
00:35:52 James Baldwin debates Buckley in 1965 at University of Cambridge
00:46:14 Running for mayor in New York City
00:53:30 "Firing Line," Buckley's TV program, is born
01:01:00 Gore Vidal and Buckley debate on "Firing Line" in 1968
01:10:14 Watergate and denouncing President Richard Nixon
01:21:54 Ronald Reagan and Buckley's close relationship
01:27:33 Modern day conservatism
01:31:28 Patricia's death and Buckley's death shortly thereafter
01:35:20 How did America end up here from Buckley's work?
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Now in its 38th season on PBS, American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape-through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim: 28 Emmy Awards-including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special-two News & Documentary Emmys, 14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast “American Masters: Creative Spark,” educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.
One thing I agree with WFB: according to his son Christopher, he believed no bottle of wine should cost more than $20
Yes. And wine is a metaphor for ideas. Something WFB Jr. had in liters.
Whatever that means.
From the age of around fifteen until my early twenties, a significant part of my education was watching Firing Line. The guests and interviews were fantastic, and Michael Kinsley was a great moderator. There was almost always respectful and civil clash, little over the top manufactured tumult. The occasional panel debates were stellar. For the most part, I disagreed with Buckley, but he forced me to reconsider many positions. High water mark for television.
Same here.
Why I thought I was the only one, thanks for putting my thoughts and history into words 😎
Well said. Me too!
Truly wonderful and so very important for our times .. bravo PBS
I went to Newport Christian high school in Newport Beach, and i recall some of my friends going to Young Republicans of Orange County event at the Westin hotel in Costa Mesa(1984)...that is where I first heard of WBJ, and was reminded that the following year many of us would be old enough to vote. We were also told if we lived our country, our freedom we should always vote Republican. It was a beautiful time to live, and I loved President Reagan.
Then when My mother remarried, my step-dad a doctor that had suffered going to college at Oberlin with its oppressive liberalism introduced me to William Buckley Jr. One of the first books he got me was "Up with Liberalism." The perfect book on how liberalism has infected colleges/universities across America. I read thinking wow, this is so 'right in target.' I couldn't believe that WBJ had written it in the 50's.! WBJ was truly brilliant and so ahead of his time.
Erick Potel
Haha, I saw that this was a PBS documentary and thought "There is no way this will be fair to Bill Buckle, Jr." Then I was pleasantly surprised...and then they ended the documentary with pictures of Jan. 6. "Ah, there's the PBS we all know."
Well said...
Buckley was writing apologias for goddam Francisco Franco in the 1960's. January 6 was the logical end point for Buckley's work and dreams. If you don't see the connection, well....
YES But NOT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF AN EXECRABLE LOUSE LIKE TRUMP,@@samuelglover7685! what don't you get about that !!!
I'm not certain if anything The Documentary was attempting to show that Donald wasn't the only one who had these thought's about America's Society where it should be in alignment to People in Society who feel either America hasn't heard them, America ignored them are that America has all but left them behind.
Clashes in Society happen you can see examples of it in The Bible one can see examples of it in Medieval Europe/& Asia.
Every body has a Voice in where they wish to see their version of America 10 out of 10 time's only 5 of those reasoning's and ideas will be met.
Donald isn't pushing anything New He's repeating what other's before him; has said and done especially in Politic's.
they baited us. make Buckley responsible for Jan 6
The breadth and depth of WFB knowledge is astounding. He talked with intelligence about anything and everything. If you don’t agree with some or all of his perspectives, that’s fine, however his pure intellect is admirable.
Excellent documentary though i don't like him,. I'm glad the debate with James Baldwin is included. Thank you AM for making these videos available on YT.
I thought Baldwin's eyeballs couldn't bulge anymore, but they did-half expected a cartoon depiction, with his eyes leaving the sockets, connected by veins, then coming back. Poor guy- and Buckley, in his smug way, calmly provoked him with his patronizing vocabulary.
Go on. Say it. He was so racist too, right? 🙄
If you want some irony, William Francis Buckley was just asserting the position of black power...which he supported.
I had the rare privilege of meeting and getting to know him in 1972.. I was first introduced to him by his niece Aloise Buckley who was a classmate at Trinity College
How did he strike you?
Had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Buckley speak while I was in college. A great speech; listened to and responded to tough questions. I was photographing him afterwards as he was leaving and he took time to listen and answer questions from students with a most respectful deameanor. Just simply a juggernaut of great thought.
A prefect description of Buckley, but PBS seems to seek to give a different impression in this documentary. A very imbalanced portrayal.
He's certainly a great example of how far too many confuse prosody for intellect.
Is prosody the same thing as a.)logorrhea or b.)grandiloquence@@AmyDentata or c.) being pedantic? I could look it up but sense i made the effort to stratify my questions in a congenial multiple choice format for your convenience, then it would be equally trouble free for you to post a single letter
@@AmyDentata Would you provide us with an example of a conservative with a high intellect or are you saying, which I suspect that you are , no conservative could have a highly developed intellect?
And a racist
Remarkably even handed up to the last few minutes...so I'm impressed.
I’m at 32:49 so far and have rolled my eyes a few times at the narrators’ descriptions. Lots of oversimplification and black/white statements.
Pretty much but they still had their moments such as with McCarthy overlooking that there were Soviet agents in government and other institutions as well as making McCarthy's investigation look as though it were purely partisan when none other than John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy worked hand-in-glove with McCarthy on these issues.
wtf are you talking about? The last minutes are still even handed. Do you honestly believe Buckley, who was a highly intelligent intellectual, an elitist who believed that stupid and uneducated people shouldn't be allowed to vote, a patriot, a lover of Western Europe (y'know... Germany, England, France, aka NATO), who dedicated much of his life to fighting against Russian authoritarianism, who loudly advocated for police who fought against the sorts of riotous mobs Trump led during his attempted insurrection, who was actually a believing and practicing Christian not just someone who pretended to be one so he could hawk Bibles to idiots.... you honestly think that that man would be anything other than absolutely appalled by Trump and the MAGA movement and its near complete takeover of the Republican party and Conservative movement in America? If you do... then... by god are you delusional.
@@christophergraves6725 Yes, nobody knows the truth anymore. The downfall of McCarthy was the moment the communists became ascendent in America. It's been all downhill from there.
the final minutes turned to whole show into a hit piece on conservatism.
I was a liberal anti Reagan college man in the 1980's..... but I never missed my dose of Buckley.
As a social democrat politically , i once went to see him at my university surrounded by many suited Young Republicans. It was a surreal experience
I was a liberal and anti Reagan but was always an independent thinker. And when I saw Ronald Reagan change his tune on the Soviet Union and agree to getting rid of 75% of the nuclear weapons I thought to myself, "Here is someone who cares about the fate of the world and is willing to change his opinions to achieve peace." I am no longer a liberal. I've always been issue oriented. Political parties change but they will always pretend the care about you... HA!!!!!
Yeah me too I’m a true blue liberal, I loved how Buckley would get people from all different walks of life on his show like Chomsky, Hitchens and Groucho Marx
@@ButtHill420 Huey Newton, Alan Ginsburg, Timothy Leary, Bernadette Devlin...
@@leannesmith3480 Mark Lane!
I largely disagreed with him but he was a tremendous public speaker. I really enjoy watching "The Firing line" on RUclips. Good debates/conversation which makes you think and you can learn so much.
Thank you for sharing this.
Well, as a British person, who never got to see him on telly and knew very little about William Buckley Jr, I found this a very interesting, well produced and very fair documentary....at least until the last 5 minutes, it seems PBS has been captured by the very thing Buckley was fighting against all his life,(just like our BBC) I'm very sure that if Buckley was still alive, he'd have been asking for a recount of the 2020 election..
@FizzVizard
Indeed. Excellent observation. You will find many Firing Lines on RUclips. One of his best was his interview with Mohammad Ali, because Ali was brilliant. Another was with Tomas Sowell, the great economist. Two that stand out and puts a lie to the "Buckley is racist" smear.
"asking for a recount" would be fine. that did happen. after all the recounts were done, redone, rechecked, confirmed by 60 separate court decisions--then trump launched a violent attack on the senate certification of the outcome. if buckley would have supported that--and i'm not sure he would have opposed it--then he's as aligned with fascism as his hero-worship of joseph mccarthy suggested all along.
I'm not a conservative but I enjoyed Buckley very much, loved to hear his opinion and dual words with his guests. He was probably the first (and only) conservative intellectual.
One thing about William F. Buckley that sets him apart from contemporary conservative figures. He was always prepared to expound on his points and outline his rationale, as opposed to leaning heavily on baseless assertions and doubling down on the equally baseless assumption that their assertions explain themselves.
I have to wonder who you have been listening to.
I watched every fFiring Line on YT, but I'm not sure I agree.
What "baseless assertions" are you referring to ?
Yeah, like how he justified segregation in the South because southern whites were superior to blacks. Because. And he had a pompous fake accent.
And one thing that ties him and current conservatives (MAGA) together is his fundamentally racist/WASP world view. To say that he lost the vote, but won the debate with James Baldwin shows just how delusional his beliefs were and how much of what he said was, if not verbal gymnastics, certainly BS.
He loved his country. In a brief aside he mentioned once that he was friends with George McGovern. An obvious contrast to our current divisiveness. I’m no Republican but I respect and enjoy listening to Mr. Buckley. Tip of the hat to you always sir 🫡
He never missed an opportunity to slag McGovern on Firing Line.
@@shannonm.townsend1232 They attacked each other's positions, but they were close friends. McGovern was distraught at Buckley's funeral.
I was never fan of Buckley's, and I very much liked McGovern. But in the late 70s, I saw a televised debate between the two given at Harvard. In their introductory statements, McGovern went first, saying how honored he was to be there, etc., etc., and then said something to the effect of, "And I am especially happy to be able to say that [some impressively large majority percentage]% of Harvard undergraduates and [similarly impressive percentage]% of Harvard graduate students voted correctly in 1972!
Buckley then got up to make his introductory statement: "It is safe to say, based on the statistics cited by Senator McGovern, that McGovern was the candidate of the partially educated." The entire audience, along with McGovern, fell out laughing!
Most of the time, I found Buckley's arrogance and class pretensions to be insufferable. But hey, that was a funny line nonetheless!
@@markpkessinger Yes, that sounds just like Buckley. Quips like that were an integral part of his presentation. His repartee was part and parcel of his style. I could not believe how quickly he could come up with such prods. Here is another that he interjected instantly upon his friend and debate opponent John Kenneth Galbraith as Galbraith was saying, "I see the economy prospering. My publisher tells me that their profits are up this last quarter...[Buckley, without missing a beat] That's coincident with your books going out of print."
Is there anyone left in the American culture who still speak with Mr Buckley's mid-Atlantic affectation? This accent seems to be lost to history. I'm 64 years old, and I can recall dozens of public figures who spoke with Buckley's dialect. They're all long gone.
@markpkessinger There may be some truth to what you state. In the movie "The Wizard of Oz," both Ray Bolger (scarecrow) and Jack Haley (tinman) both spoke with a pronounced mid-atlantic accent. Both men were Irish-Americans from Boston who spoke with strong New England accents as young people, the mid-atlantic accent was taught to them in the old studio-system (MGM) acting schools
The Mid-Atlantic accent was never anybody's natural way of speaking. It was consciously cultivated in the prep schools and finishing schools of the upper class, and by those who weren't actually upper class but aspired to be, which seems to describe the family Buckley grew up in rather accurately. American culture today places a higher value on authenticity, and hence the Mid-Atlantic accent has gone the way of all flesh. The accent may sound attractive, but when you consider what it actually was -- a self-conscious effort by the upper class to set themselves apart from everybody else, there is really something profoundly un-American about it.
well you have to be cloistered in an elite environment with nannies, prep schools, and elite colleges - to sound like that.
I've never met or heard anyone else who talked like that.
@@erc9468 Its no longer a thing since the Harvards and Yales of the modern world admit a student body from all over the world. But the New England elite in the late 19th Century and first half of the 20th Century were often so segregated from normal people that there was that "affected" speech that almost sounded British. I went to a private school where a lot of my classmates fathers talked like that. It was a bit weird for sure.
Nice change removing the narrative disruption of the cut to talking heads and employing voiceovers instead, credited at the end with but a single photo of each expert whose voice was used. Wonderful documentary!
I thought about this the WHOLE time. I can appreciate the folks speaking, but the more you can SHOW me about the subject of a documentary, the better. Fantastic watch
Me too!!
What was the point of showing comics uncanny vocal impressions of Buckley' while showcasing some third rate impersonator from _DarkPBS?_
In the early 80's I often watched Firing Line. I remember one with mayor Koch of New york who described himself as a "sane liberal". Buckley later commented that nothing excites liberals so much as the discovery of a new "victim group". One of my favorite quotes.
Now Republicans have their own startling array of "victim groups" - the downtrodden billionaires, "cancelled" celebrities with huge social media platforms, giant agri-businesses that masquerade as "family farms" threatened by "death taxes" and many other such privileged snowflakes that feel continually oppressed and persecuted.
It's a shame RUclips sticks ads in a documentary from PBS. Even more so for some kind of workout product, as if anyone coming for a Buckley doc is pumping iron
Ads are maddening. For what it's worth, if you run the video to the end, click the X, the press replay button it will usually skip the ads.
I am. 😂
Careful now, yt ads stem from our beloved free market capitalism and any complaints while receiving a free PBS doc might get us labeled communists. 😂
@@ohioskane363 Thanks, but what 'X' is that?
@@dixonpinfold2582 There's an X that appears in the upper right corner at the end of a video. Click that then click the round arrow that replays the video.
I've never (ever) have been conservative but I loved watching Mr. Buckley! :)
Same here.I never missed Firing Line.
Very interesting program, enjoyed it thoroughly.
I tried to read WFB from his different periods, and havent finished any of them, can someone recommend one? To comment on WFB's profligacy and speed in writing- it reminded me of the acclaimed author Philip K. Dick, who wrote like 58 novels ( in a third of the time of Buckley's career); most of them are crammed full of iideas and laced with erudite contemplation replete with references to the Western canon of philosophy, literature and religion; PKD's books are also notable for their highly-developed sardonic wit, and surprisingly, compassion.
i would read "cruising speed" for his literary charm in non-political form, and for his political essays, perhaps "the jeweler's eye" (1968) and any other collection up to 1975 or so (i.e. "execution eve." the earlier books are more monolithic and dry as writing, and later than '75 he begins to lose his freshness and energy. it's roughly correlative with norman mailer's non-fiction career.
@@k2doggo thanks for answering, I will check out Cruising Period and your other suggestions
I admire his intelligence and wit. It’s sad that our leaders today seem to possess so little of both.
By leaders you mean elected officials? Was William Buckley ever elected to any political position?
@anairenemartinez165
Yes Nixon made him a United Nations delegate, but wait , according to these knuckleheads Nixon and Buckley didn’t get along.
Maybe you admired his vocabulary and wit. He wasnt very intelligent as he was racist. He believed african americans shouldnt have the right to vote. Don't be seduced by words and nice presentation.
Because he was racist
@@roughhabit9085 Towards the end they did not but initially and for most of the run they were okay. I do know that William Francis Buckley did not like the arms control measures of Richard Milhous Nixon.
I'm sure many of the comments will be in regards to WFB's politics--pro or con, but I'd like to mention how excellent he was at interviewing authors. He seemed to actually have read the book(s) being discussed unlike another later PBS interviewer (initials CR). Also, for pure comedy, the episode on "The Hippies" with a drunken Jack Kerouac, a sociologist of the hippie movement, and a hippie is a hilarious must-see time capsule.
It was confusing as they all contradicted each other.
What. A. Life! He was a towering figure in his time.
I grew up watching Firing Line on PBS. He was my hero and helped shape my political and social views. My family was affluent and lifelong Republicans for many generations. We all loved him.
That's pretty scary
@@kavaking how so? 🤷♂️
@@TheRealFamespear you've been in an echo chamber your entire life and have never once questioned it.
@@kavakingyou think this current administration isn’t in an echo chamber? Lol 😂😂😂😂😂
@@theravagedgrapefruit8190 no man we're fucked but one is moving towards community and love while the other one is moving towards individualism and selfishness. I don't remember what I commented here but it was probably stupid because we're all monkeys running around figuring out how to care for each other. Be nice to people. One says we should hate based on personal attributes, the other says we shouldn't care. It's damn near spiritual dude. Think about it. The left is pretty intolerant when it comes to intolerance. It's not the same when one is attack and the other is defense. Do any politicians actually represent those ideas? Probably not but again one group says they do, the other one admits they fear the perpetual "other". One side hates haters and the other hates anyone outside of their personal level of comfort. Getting along is critical when wealth inequality is higher than it was during the french revolution.
A great time in America when the left and the right weren't each other's enemy. When both were anti-Communist, we could all have a conversation.
What's communism? Something tells me you've never been educated on what it is but have been brainwashed by the American establishment into seeing communism as an eternal external threat. They love when you think like that because then they can persecute you in any way they see fit and you'll go along with it in the name of fighting "communism".
@@kavaking Communism is the most evil form of population control ever devised. How many millions died at the hands of Stalin, Mao, Castro, Che, Pol Pot, and the Kims? Entire generations of families destroyed forever. You’re a blithering idiot if you don’t know the history. Who’s uneducated again?
The great irony of socialism is that for all the ‘People’s Republic’ of this and ‘People’s Republic’ of that, it’s never about, by or for the people, is it, Mr. Pirate?
Well the left was less anti-communist to be honest.
Whether you like WFB or Trump, the reality is WFB would not be a fan of Trump in the same way he wasn't keen on Buchanan. Seems odd to inject Trump into this when Buckley is not around to voice his opinion on the matter. Otherwise a really interesting fair documentary.
They can't help themselves.TDS is real.
Buckley would have been appalled at Trump
@@briandelaney9710He would have loved him.I'm a psychic too.
@@briandelaney9710 I would suggest he would be appalled by the lot of them these days, left and right.
PBS is ridiculous. They had to end this otherwise wonderful documentary by bringing up Trump and Jan 6th right at the end.
Emotional for me as an old man to watch this remembering my own lifetime, mostly but not entirely private, of engagement with conservatism. Certainly Buckley and National Review and, especially, Firing Line, were central to my formation. I was there from very near the beginning and am still there today, in my despair. A crucial inflection point for conservatism was -- as recounted in this documentary -- Buckley's early recognition of his appeal not just to the elite audience he imagined but to cops and firefighters and other middle class people. And yes, that was the opening for real political power and energy but also for the demise of Buckley's high-conservatism, which came to full fruition with Donald Trump. Now, populism has nearly swallowed principled conservatism. (Credit where credit's due....nice job PBS.)
Dear sir,
I remain supremely unmoved by your feeble albeit well enunciated elocution. And now to recommence my heartfelt harangue or homily as it were. One's parlance, bearing, and mannerisms though no doubt regal, intriguing and dare I say it, yes I shall-cute, are mere shadows to the bright light of the content of words elocuted as well as the character and intention of the elocutor in question. In short, one can place a crown of gold on a deep fried turd and still, one would be left with a turd. It seems the crown has fallen away, has it not, my good man?
Wow! So, how is Rightist populism inconsistent with Buckley's social conservatism?
@@christophergraves6725 Does MTG remind you of WFB in any respect whatsoever?
@thepaulusmaximus
You’re an absolute genius if you can determine elocution from the written word.
@@edcottingham1 For the most part, not in personal style, education or comportment. But they are both fighters for the basic principles that America is founded on and in that regard are very similar.
From what I have heard from MTG, she accepts the notion that there are conspiracies among well-connected people who are trying to undermine American sovereignty in order to bring the world together under a new order. Buckley openly rejected this view on the surface but he himself engaged in exactly this sort of thing only for what he saw as the right purposes. Remember that his father was very active in behind-the-scenes maneuvers to overthrow governments. Buckley himself worked for the CIA doing what besides doing translations, I know not what. I will say that just about every piece of legislation passed by the Congress was preceded by specially-connected people working behind the scenes with undue influence to accomplish their purpose. Even though Buckley opposed the John Birch Society, and they were too extreme, they were correct about David Rockefeller's using his influence to unite the world under one system. Rockefeller said so in his autobiography.
I love this, very neutral and well made. Thank you PBS.
@Gelo
I have to say I disagree. The show gave the impression that he never changed his views on race, when he did, and considered his earlier views as "wrong." It also gave the impression of the "dark" side of the right, that he somehow "excused." What "dark side"? Finally of course, it had to conclude by damming today's right. As if he had somehow unleashed the forces of evil. As for whether he would support Trump or not? He would support Trump in the same way most Republicans do. I can imagine he might not like Trump, but to stop the madness of the Biden years? Of course he would. Why is Trump leading in the polls right now, even with the lawsuits (perhaps because of) and with the media pack in general behind Biden?
Not really, he gave them a quality TV show for over 30 years, and they gave him a shit sandwich.
Nice. Oddly enough, I was looking for a biography on Buckley just a couple weeks ago, and there's not much out there. The closest to be found is "Best of Enemies: Buckley vs Vidal." Which, is very good. But, it felt as though most of that was devoted to Vidal.
Indeed my good man, though one could very well visit one's local bookstore and peruse a book about a small oily turd in lieu of a biography on said elocutor.
@@thepaulusmaximus Colorful description. While I don't disagree, I get the distinct impression we are frequenting two different kinds of bookstore.
Mr. Buckley has something of a literary autobiography called Miles Gone By which you might be interested in. Though he recommends if you want to truly understand him to read his collection of speeches and his biography of faith.
@@Arareemote Dear sir,
I remain supremely unmoved by your feeble albeit well enunciated elocution and shall recommence my heartfelt harangue or homily as it were. One's parlance, bearing, and mannerisms though no doubt regal, intriguing and dare I say it, yes I shall-cute, are mere shadows to the bright light of the content of words elocuted as well as the character and intention of the elocutor in question. In short, one can place a crown of gold on a deep fried turd and still, one would be left with a turd. One may very well surmise that the crown has fallen away, darling.
@@thepaulusmaximus Why dear fellow, at first I admit I was intrigued by what the nature of your reply would be, given my own was naught else but a rudimentary, yet courteous recommendation. However now that I have navigated the trail of verbiage you've so tactlessly left. Partaking in the surfeit of noeticly noxious bread crumbs (pardon the tautology) I must say, I am rather mystified. Not by the grandiloquently expressed content itself, but by this strange cathexis for ordure you seem to have sewn into this bemired lexical quilt you've draped over myself and the OP.
Now putting your fecal fervour aside far be it for me to regard your difference of opinion with the same distasteful animadversion which has become so woefully characteristic of these comment sections. But I would cordially advise you to part the company of them in the future, perforce, you becoming once again detraque over a recommendation not meant for you.
He ran for Mayor of New York City in 1965. He was asked what the first thing he would do if he won. He said with a twinge of sadness, "Demand a recount."
Furthermore the editor of the New York Times said he had to keep sending different reporters to his press conferences because they all came back saying they were going to vote for him.
It should be at least mentioned in this admittedly even handed analysis of WFB that later in life he regretted his stands on the racial issues that he took during the 1960's. I followed his adventures since the mid 1960's and was elated at the key role he played in the Reagan revolution in 1980. Having said that his recognition of many of our short sighted reactions to the very real race problem in the U.S. and his willingness to admit to a mistaken stance back in the day is the mark of a true gentleman willing to admit error. RIP WFB
@doug
Indeed. The PBS production gave the false impression that his earlier views on race remained set in stone.
And today people will knowingly accept lies as truth.
He had already changed his views in the '60s. By 1965 he approved of Federal bills for voting and was for black power.
Being born into a wealthy family which gave him all that it brings, namely education he used it wisely becoming one of the most prolific writers and debaters of all time. He himself agreed the only stain on an otherwise flawless public life was that Vidal got his number in the 68 debate. He regretted that encounter for the rest of his life. Having watched dozens of his Firing Line programmes, this documentary is a wonderful epitaph to an extraordinary man. Where o where are there people like him today...
I've always admired them both Mr. Vidal and Mr. Buckley. I think what they truly despised in one other was the fact they were similar. If you listen to them talk about one another, the portraits they paint are completely unrecognizable to the actual person.
Differing political views aside Mr. Buckley wasn't half as knowledgeable as Gore and Mr. Vidal wasn't half as personable as William. I think this distinction really set them apart on their trajectories in the end.
I always regarded his outburst at Gore Vidal (not made entirely clear) as being one of his high points (even if he was himself regretful at "losing his cool."). IMO, the James Baldwin debate did him much more damage.
@@edcottingham1losing his cool and slipping into an ad hominem attack on Vidal’s sexuality on national television is a “high point”? I agree with Buckley, for once: that was the nadir of his life. Although it certainly showed off his true colors. If only Buckley were as comfortable with his own latent sexuality as Vidal…
Watching his roast for 30 years of Firing Line , it’s obvious he didn’t regret calling that queer queer.
@@roughhabit9085 watching his flamboyant mannerisms on Firing Line, it makes one also wonder how much of that queerness was within Buckley himself. Apparently he had a surprising number of gay male friends later in life, and enjoyed sailing and other private social activities with them. Who knows?
I think it would be really interesting to see a William F. Buckley movie or miniseries. With the right actor and director it could be really great.
It would be very trying on the facial muscles of an actor to adopt that nose in the air permanent grimace that tries to pass for a smile.
Christopher Nolan directing! Maybe Cillian starring!
@@georgialerangis2123 That would actually maybe be the best possibility
@@hopeemch8511 The late Joe Flarhety did a great imitation on SCTV
Might I suggest said elocutor be played by a small oily turd with a weird facial tic and the director be Leni Riefenstahl.
Great to hear the talented Sam Tanenhaus' voice in commentary here. Looking forward to reading his decisively epic book on Buckley, January 2025. Cheers -- Kirk Reynolds
It’s a good documentary, but the unrelenting background music is too loud.
The people who produced it should have realized that the people who are interested in watching it don’t need to be musically entertained to the point of distraction.
As a sane progressive I admire Buckley although I'm against most of his ideas. And it's a shame how the left surrendered the principle of freedom of expression to the right on the name of self percieved moral superiority. Regardless, it's a great documentary.
What is that? The LEFT surrendered the principle of freedom of expression to the RIGHT. See, I needed to copy it to make sure I read it correctly. I can't say what you are here. I would be banned.
There's no such thing as a sane progessive
@@MrRozburnReally? I suppose that you're a MAGAt Cult Member following the crazy Cult of Evangelical Fascism and no Progressive has abandoned the Freedom of Expression in the name of moral superiority....that's just false, especially considering the "Conservative.." self righteousness based in Conspiracies, Lies and outright 🐂 💩 that is spread by the Propaganda Talking Heads and "Influencers.." as we have seen in stark terms as they have taken away Women's Civil Rights, while using Voter Suppression tactics too.
This is why I've recently being watching old firing line episodes (Hoover institute archive), trying to understand what happened on the left (and right). I find that my political location on the spectrum really hasn't changed. But one thing the episodes underline is that an extremist, unreasonable, Stalinist wing has existed on the left for 60 years at least. Centerist progressives and liberals always had to be vigilant to keep it at at bay. It seems that during COVID/Floyd centrists got distracted and they flooded institutions.
@MrRozburn yes far better to be mean & reactionary
William Buckley sounds amazing. How is it that I’ve never heard of him?
He seems so central to conservatism and yet I’ve never watched a single of his firing line shows.
Because proponents of small government have few press agents.
@1:08:15 Buckley’s true colors came out. I think Gore Vidal was very pleased.
Being called a racist crypto-nazi on national TV was a pretty low blow for Vidal. He was obviously out to enrage Buckley who was debating the Vietnam war. Did you expect him to just laugh it off? He regretted reacting to that moment on air by losing his composure. Vidal also told him to shut up. He wouldn't call him a bunch of names and to shut up on Firing Line otherwise he wouldn't have him back to debate.
@@tntstorms7969 What I do when confronted with such nonsense, as I am frequently, is to point out the ad hominem attack and its irrationality and then go back to the arguments. That almost always stops the vitriol. It might be that Buckley, who could certainly stick to the arguments and do well, was leaning on this wit rather than the logic and his anger in the moment blocked his wit.
While I thought Buckley's attacks were amusing , it was unfortunate since that overwrought response undercut Buckley's entire project of making conservatism the more rational and refined position.
You think Vidal was pleased that those debates launched Buckley’s 30 year TV career, while he faded into obscurity?
@@roughhabit9085Vidal did NOT fade into obscurity. He wrote many more books, appeared on several TV talk shows and did many one on one interviews.
Vidal enjoyed great respect and popularity for his entire life.
@justmyopinion9883
Yes in one of those interviews Vidal confessed that influence was real power . Kissinger said that Buckley single-handedly shifted American politics to the right. Do you think Vidal was happy that Buckley was so influential?
If you follow many of Buckley's interviews over the years you see that violence and rage are always ready to pounce out, especially when he's losing the debate. The Vidal case was part of a pattern, not isolated. Earlier in a interview with Suskind , for example, he shouits "do you want me to cram it [his point] down your throat?!!". And watch his body language on his firing line, how he always aggressively leans forward, especially with women who dare to contradict him. ...nastly little man.
The rage, the internal violence spilling out - it’s likely a case of a deeply repressed gay man in an era when that was simply not acceptable. It comes out in his wildly flamboyant mannerisms and speech, and it explains his utter contempt for Vidal - who was basically his mirror, except Vidal allowed himself to be “himself” more than Buckley ever could.
@@VideoAmericanStyle Yes very true. Vidal certainly suspected Buckley of being gay. He was quite camp, very affected, like an actor projecting a personality to conceal or divert attention.
@@lucianopavarotti2843 viewed through that lens, Buckley’s arc is much more of a tragedy: a smart man whose clear talent for rhetoric was completely wasted on promoting a conservative movement that eventually became the polar opposite of the elevated, sophisticated form Buckley envisioned for it.
@@VideoAmericanStyle I don't see it as a tragedy. He was not a victim. He decided to be a reactionary. No doubt that was reinforced by the Roman Catholicism he was brought up in. But he had other choices than to opt for the intolerant political right and actively champion the bigotry of the church. He sought to gain acceptance for himself by aligning himself to any form of power he could find. And he managed his self-loathing by finding others to loathe even more than himself. He chose to live his life in a way that actively harmed and disparaged others, including minorities. And he did so in the most attention-seeking, publicity greedy way.
I think he had visions of the culture war raging and the intolerance that permeated the left. Violence has always been the response of the left, which means intolerance. His raging response at Vidal was regarding Vidal's accusation of nazism which in a sense became the goto accusation: racism, nazism, rinse, repeat... add misogynist, bigot. Violent speech has always been the undercurrent of the left.
just an incredible production. Bravo!
A great example of how many people want a facade of civility and intellectualism rather than the real thing.
Oh yes of course. We all do know that only a leftist can be an intellectual. Ask one, it'll tell you.
@AmyDentata
And we are to find "civility and intellectualism" in your comment, rather than a "facade"? Got it.
@@jamesmcgrath3841☑️ ✔️ ☑️
To me his greatest legacy is his courage to share his platform with those on the other side: Noam Chomsky, William Sloane Coffin, Alan Patin, Julian Bond, his old pal John Kenneth Galbraith and so many more. Many of my main influences I first saw on Firing Line. Says a lot about Buckley.
It was cool to watch, but it was a television show after all.
@@shannonm.townsend1232 all we had was television and radio then. very little cable options. his presence of public tv was enormous
@@julianbrown1092 I remember
This production provided to me a most excellent representation of a great man. It ended at 1:35:59 when T.D.S. HIJACKED my mind and bastardized innuendo disturbed my Wa (和).
Interesting that this PBS piece ignored Buckley's most important position on race. PBS freezes him based on an article he wrote in 1957, the implication is that he held the same position throughout his life. He didn't. By the end of the 60s his views had changed dramatically. Dang shame you didn't include clips of his superb interviews with Mohammad Ali and Tomas Sowell.
How about Buckley being against every civil rights bill ever in the 1960’s ? He debated James Baldwin in 1965 when he expressed opposition to voting rights. Buckley was deeply racist!
@@nikita-dh5je
In 2004, Buckley told Time, "I once believed we could evolve our way up from Jim Crow. I was wrong. Federal intervention was necessary." Give it a rest. In his own words, he said he "was wrong." What more do you want?
@@nikita-dh5je The irony is that that is not true. In 1964 he approved of Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen's proposal for U.S. Marshalls to register voters in Southern States. Furthermore in the 1965 debate he actually propounded black power views which he supported.
In his time I appreciated that he was so cultured & articulate & was a foil to 1970s broad-brush liberals. In recent years more info has emerged of his actual extremism. Never regretted his full-on support of Joe McCarthy, didn't actually break with the John Birchers as depicted, long history of expressed anti-Semitic & racist views (yeah, an edition of NR labeled Pat Buchanan an anti-Semite which was an easy call, but hid the continuing views of WFB).
@Rexracernj
In what way does Buckley "have a long history of expressed anti-Semitic & racist views" Rex? In your own time, thanks. Or perhaps this just another smear?
@@jamesmcgrath3841 I myself appreciated his vocab. & presentation, & agreed with him on more than a few issues of the time. Not sure if you've done a comprehensive read of WFB's op-eds & NR articles, going back to the 1960s? A careful read. You should. Also unsure if you know about the NR discussion in which WFB (who admitted to burning a cross at a Jewish home in CT as a young man, yeah he did) & Geo. Will agreed that "a Jew" should not be WFB's successor as CEO at NR.
@@rexracernj7696 Okay the anti-semitism charge is stupid.
On Joseph Raymond McCarthy he actually sayed in the late '90s that McCarthy was detrimental to anti-communism. He was neither anti-semitic or a racist.
He's my hero. Through his books I found my way to religion and he helped me to develop an identity. I love the man.
he was a sloppy drunk and not at all intelligent. you got fooled by that droozy accent LOL!
Love this show! I watched "Firing Line" Starting at 9 years old. I adored Buckley telling off Gore Vidal. Also, I loved the topics he covered and how he uh , uh, uh, talked or in his case polysylabicated. I learned so much vocabulary and so much about politics ! Thank you Mr. Buckley!❤
I agree except I think the Vidal moment was very different than the Buckley he became ... the ability to keep the most controversial discussion civil. from a liberal's point of view, that's what made him so special and courageous.
no honor in calling someone queer
Does anyone in American culture still speak with Mr. Buckley's mid-Atlantic affectation? I can recall dozens of Americans who spoke like him. Yet, today, it seems to be lost to history.
@@MichaelElias-q2zhis accent was a caricature even by the mid-1960s. Buckley was emulating the blue blooded WASP aristocracy he would have wanted to be part of but would never quite be accepted into as a nouveau riche Catholic.
@@MichaelElias-q2z Because it's snobbish and calculated behaviour, designed to show his apparent superior class, intellect, education, taste, blah de blah blah blah.... A terribly affected style with limited meaningful content. All style, no substance.
Except for the last few minutes, overall this was not a bad presentation of the life of a great man who lived up to his goal of standing athwart history yelling stop. And yes, that meant standing up to Soviet Communism that had penetrated to the highest levels of government, the news and entertainment industries, and academia. Tragically, after the Soviet Union was destroyed liberating millions from the Left, America once again has suffered from the Long March Through the Institutions as a more virulent form of Marxism has taken control of these same institutions radiating out of colleges in their quest to destroy Christian Western Civilization. That is where the fight is now with Big Business now squarely, and ironically, in the camp of the Neo-Marxists.
That's why we see the ending of this documentary in the way that we do. PBS hates America as founded and will smear anyone who stands with William F. Buckley yelling stop!
And Pat was a perfect mate for him and him for her. She was an elegant and provocative lady.
SCTV’s Joe Flaherty did a fabulous William F...Pierre Trudeau and Indira Gandi at a bar with William F. as the bartender ...“Last call for lunatic Liberals and their third world girlfriends”...always put me on the floor.
Flaherty's Buckley was the best. His takedown of Meatloaf (played by John Candy) was epic.
I've been trying to forget about Buckley for a couple of decades now. This brings back what an egregious SOB he was. His arguments against Baldwin were basically fascist. I am the elite and the elite should rule (and we will decide when, if ever, you will be allowed to share in that rule, i.e. never). Most of the time he just eluded hard questions by verbal rodomontade. Covered in slimy sophisms, Jesuitical casuistry, and a truly snotty attitude. He must be remembered, unfortunately, but only as one of the clearest monuments to everything wrong with so-called "intellectual" conservatism. (Gore Vidal wasn't such a hot human being but he deserves every credit for helping to put Buckley down and expose his vicious side. LOVED how he got under Buckley's skin.)
The fact you know Vidal a pedo and still think he's cool says alot about liberals
William Francis Buckley just explained black power which he supported.
One of the most articulate people in human history. I've watched soo many of his shows and he present arguments that really make you think. Also the greatest accent and mannerisms ever.
I agree . He is of course incomprehensible to Philistines.
Lived here for both of them. Oddly enough here we are again, another democratic primary happening in the midst of another unpopular sort of war. Granted the American casualties aren’t the same but the humanitarian crisis is the same….😢😢😢😢
Bravo - well done!
23:25 "If you had talked about conservatives in the early 1950s, people wouldn't have been clear about what you were even talking about." Changed much?
"Conservative" really only means preserving the rights of the few over the many; i.e, the status quo. It never had anything to do with protecting natural resources, the environment, national landmarks or treasures, et al.
@@thomasb.smithjr.8401 Sure,comrade.
@@shawnkennedy855 Ad hominem cheap shot.
@@shawnkennedy855Great example of why nobody takes conservatism seriously anymore.
Really? I thought Conservatism was about clinging on to the Founding Fathers principles. You know, limited government, individual rights, and the encouragement of free enterprise among human beings.
One Buckley-ism I quote CONSTANTLY is, "Everyone says so and so is a legitimate person because he ran for President. Well Lydon LaRouche ran for President, and if that man is not nuts I am Napoleon..."
William F. Buckley had a FORMIDABLY DANGEROUS WIT!
In the eyes of the witless.
@@cmzeman Having read your perhaps slightly jejune reply I can't help but think you would be at home amongst them.
@@Arareemote😂
@@cmzemanIn the eyes of the literate
YMMV.
What’s the song played in this doc at his wedding?
How sad it is to behold the state of conservatism in the United States today, given that the right used to pride itself on intellectualism.
Sadly, intellectualism is not a thing for the mass of American voters, either left or right. Now, the Trump populists will battle the Biden populists and the country will lose either way. Keeping conservatism an intellectually grounded movement and also keeping the rabble out was part of Buckley's agenda for a long time. I admit that being intellectually grounded without adequate popular support is not very useful. Buckley gradually yielded to this reality over time. Now, with Trump, all is lost. Trump is a hopelessly flawed man and not even a conservative although, yes, preferable to Biden.
@@edcottingham1 “All sides are bad” is propaganda promoted by the bad guys. Buckley was wrong on a lot of topics, but even he would have seen that Biden is the only sane choice. It’s thoroughly disgusting for you to compare him to Trump. Shame on you.
The intellectualism was only ever a veneer to cover the classism, and outright racism.
Well you can thank public education for that
@@MrRozburn Public education made conservatives in particular dumber?
To be fair, FL was one of the most entertaining shows ever made (less so towards the end).
Great doc. 👍
For the grownups this is the actual debate between Buckley and Baldwin /watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ - without the PBS fake editing.
I always felt this guy was extremely intelligent and had the resources to spend his youth learning every unique sounding rarely used word in the English language. I think he was raised too high brow to really attract many truck drivers.
LOL
A level of pretension we don't often see anymore (thankfully)
He was always atavistic, probably because of the aforementioned Buckley Bubble
But he did.
@@christophergraves6725 he was an extremely intelligent and bravely outspoken guy. I admit he always was the guy whose boring show I was forced to watch as a kid so I am learning much more about him. I applaud his stance on affirmative action. That is my stance on affirmative action well before I knew it was his.
Why are there ads on this PBS video?
You thought PBS was a "real" non-profit? Your tax money is their profit margin.
Where is Gore Vidal?😝
Did you watch this?
@ricardocantoral7672 if by watch you mean scan twenty percent of it then yes.
@@moviola12 the verbal punch-up with gore is indeed included, as it would have to be.
Certainly arrogant & self-imposing, yet open in having dialogue with the most controversial of guests (whether on the left or on the right)...
I agree that Buckley was open to discussion with his opponents and even becoming friends with them if they were receptive to his overtures, which he did commonly make with many of his interlocutors. I never saw Buckley as arrogant, even though I know others did at the time. I am not seeing it though.
God bless William F Buckley!
this was brilliant, thank you
PBS being PBS. Shallow.
It was not as bad as it could have been. It was all right except for the McCarthy bashing as they overlooked his working with JFK and RFK on rooting out Soviet agents in the government and other institutions. Then we had the last few minutes trying to connect Buckley's championing social conservatism with the January 6th melee.
@@christophergraves6725 McCarthy never uncovered a single communist or Soviet spy. The real work against that very real threat was all done by other people. McCarthy ultimately did enormous harm to the anti-communist cause through his recklessness and amorality.
Sig being Sig. Swallow.
I would say this film is fair until the end.
Good work. Buckley's debate with Baldwin was his low point. Buckley had some later revisions to his stand on civil rights that probably should have been mentioned briefly here. His flash of anger at Vidal was probably seen differently by Red vs. Blue America, but it did raise the question: was it just a flash of anger, or was that anger a motivating factor all through his public life?
Agreed with you (in my later post) about the Baldwin debate, much more damaging than him losing his cool a bit with Vidal. If he thought, even in the early '60s, that his answer to Baldwin was adequate, he was woefully wrong.
@@edcottingham1 Agree. His answers were shocking then and now.
The HATE and FEAR, yes. Absolutely. He was generally good at hiding it, that's all. Always the classism, the sense of entitlement.
I think Buckley was concerned with conservatism's public image and so modified his racial stands but not that much. He embraced Thomas Sowell's approach to racial matters, which is hardly consistent with the Civil Rights mainstream. I think he should have rather taken up Hannah Arendt's objections to Civil Rights laws. Unfortunately, she was bullied off of her insightful analysis of where equality before the law starts and stops.
Idealism wins every debate in a campus setting. Buckley knew this but accepted the Baldwin invitation anyway and Baldwin was very grateful.
Never have so few worked so hard to insure that so many have so little.
At least that is what a lot of people say while many are deciding on their own ahead of time which minorities are according to them too lazy, vulnerable and weak to hire for working or continuing to work after marriage in all of their being pre-approved start-ups.
Didn't work a day in his life.
Far be it from me to defend the pretentious and bigoted Buckley, but I do think he had to meet many writing deadlines in order to float the family lifestyle. According to his son Christopher’s book, ( Losing Mum and Pup) though there was money on both sides, the passive income was limited, and Buckley did indeed have to work. Writing books, Filming Firing Line, heading the National Review, making numerous television appearances on other shows. Nah, he worked harder than many people. However, much I disrespect disrespect his goals.
@@davidnelson2682you don’t know what work is. You’re a mooch! Buckley was a workaholic
In the New Testament of the Bible it says:
'In the last days, for those who have much, more will be given unto them.
For those who have little,
the little they have will be taken from them'.
Not written by goat herders.
It doesn't matter how much intelligence, wit or knowledge you posses if you are dettached from your heart, you know.
“Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority “
~ Mencken
Winston Churchill was insightful when he said, "If you are not a Communist when you are twenty, you have no heart. If you are still a Communist at thirty, you have no head."
Buckley had a great sense of humor.
Would have enjoyed this, but something is going on with the music and my speakers and I can't understand much of what is said. Rats.
The man was brilliant. Read a few of his books. Sad that PBS couldn't resist dumping on him and the Conservative movement.
Caught that too. No such maligning of the left.
@@lynngregory393It’s just possible that the left and right are not identical in these respects.
Sorry, there is no more right or left. You're either crazy and feed off lies or you're an independent or democrat. Neoconservative stopped becoming a political movement prior to GHW Bush.
Never liked him or Jean Kirkpatrick, but these days they would be a breath of fresh air.
I have watched the Buckley/Baldwin debate many, many times. The suggestion that the students and faculty of Cambridge Union responded to Baldwin out of "white guilt" is just sick and profoundly offensive. They responded to Baldwin as they did because Baldwin made such a compelling case, and did so with passion and great eloquence. Buckley's attempt to claim that the response was a product of "white guilt," and the fact that he could never bring himself to concede that Baldwin had bested him in that debate, speaks volumes about just how small a man Buckley really was!
WFB was no American hero. He did more to fight against civil rights and equality than most know. His writings were extreme and helped user in the current Tea Party/ MAGA movement. An entitled elitist who rode the wings of populism to popularity.
Well said. Thank you.
Well and truly said.
Truth.
I notice that my reply is not up here or at least not on my screen. Apparently, RUclips removed it.
Yeah, it became more monstrous than ever!
A fascinating program about a fascinating man. I seriously wonder if there's anyone in the world of political commentary today, let along in the United States, that has Buckley's insight, wit, and erudition. Thank you for posting.
He had wit, but insight is something he seriously lacked. The man lived in a well insulated bubble of thought.
Hardly surprised at the tilt or "flavor" PBS took on Buckley and world events of that time, like watching a Ken Burns film thinking it would be unbiased. Certainly well edited and narrated, I will give it that. I suppose if had been a NPR production they may have suggested that he started the Vietnam war
This was a wonderful program about a great man. Nice job PBS.
We do see William Buckley in some cartoon series like the one where he ìs called Stew, and has a sort of American football shaped face, but the voice was an imitation of Buckley
My cousin pat nolan is in here!!! Whoa... had no idea
Loved watching Buckley get crushed by Mr. Baldwin.
I had totally forgotten about Jack Germond…
"Germondo"!
@@mitchellbaker9434 lol "The McLaughlin Report" parodies on SNL were hilarious... with absolute metaphysical certitude.
Excellent.
Tried to watch this but was driven to distraction by the completely unnecessary background music, I really wish someone could tell me what the point of it is
Classic Preppie family and Preppie social world at that time, unapologetic elitists and snobs.
@@gramma677 Someone who attended a preparatory school (private and expensive).
Kurt Vonnegut wrote a typically astute, concise summary of Buckley, in a review of one of Buckley's interminable essay collections (it's name escapes me, though I had the misfortune of slogging through the damn thing). I don't recall the exact words, but the gist was, "It's written with the supreme assurance of a man who has never had a single one of his childhood assumptions challenged, ever".
@@samuelglover7685except that he was challenged frequently..and on National Television no less. 😂
@@samuelglover7685
Nothing particularly "astute" about Vonnegut's observation. Sounds rather pretentious, in fact. I'm pretty certain Buckley had all of his "childhood assumptions" challenged at some point or other. He engaged constantly in debate and exchange - and in friendship - with those who fundamentally disagreed with him.
@@samuelglover7685 "It's written with the supreme assurance of a man who has never had a single one of his childhood assumptions challenged, ever".
Did you skip the entire documentary? Evidently, Vonnegut skipped Buckley's entire career!
I used to read the national review, that was a long time ago.
Then you would know it’s called National Review with no determiner
Tragically, NR has changed for the worse. Buckley made a huge mistake putting in Rich Lowery.
@@roughhabit9085 I grew up with it, and we called it either National Review or the National Review, so I don't know what your attempted hair-splitting is about.
The *only* advantage of growing up reading Buckley's rag is that I got an early appreciation of just how empty his politics always were, and how much you can bamboozle people with a schtick based an almost self-satirizing vocabulary.
@samuelglover7685
Thank god that Democrat Ronald Reagan was influenced differently by reading it . I confess it must be hard to grasp complete equations if your brain is hardwired in idealism.
"It's hard to stand up carrying the weight I know." The brilliance of the man is almost unfathomable.
It’s a damn clever line… I’ll give you that
I think you meant arrogance.
@@mariannewilson753 It was on a comedy programme. He was meant to give a funny answer.
One of Buckley's idiosyncrasies was his accent, which reselmbled a posh Eglish accent (or transatlantic). He didn't sound American to me. Any thoughts on where he got that from and how widespread it was at the time?
I can hear some Deep South. Not surprising given that his father owned a home in Camden, SC.
I agree with Joyce's comment with the Southern influence. Both of his parents were Southerners. Also, he attended a boarding school in England.
"“Up until age six I spoke only Spanish,” William F. Buckley, Jr. told Brian Lamb, the founder of C-SPAN, in 1993. “Then, I went to my first school in Paris, where, of course, they spoke French. Then at age seven I went to London, and that’s where I learned English for the first time. Now what I ought to sound like? You tell me.”"
I'm torn between loathing and a strange nostalgia for articulate, literate fash.
Good.😂
I can relate to that. Was a big fan of WFB back in the day and never missed "Firing Line" but also back then but also had a lot of misguided notions about politics that didn't really conform to reality.
He did have a fashion sense all his own, yes.
Why do you have to play music over the voices? It is more than annoying.
When I was young arrogant and foolish I considered him a political demon. With the humility and hard earned wisdom that comes with age I consider him a political hero truly ahead of his time.
Which aspect of Buckley’s life was ‘heroic’? The elitism? The racism? The deep-seated closeted sexuality?
Not sure how you worked that out.
Really all that happens as you have aged is you become more closed minded, bigoted and concerned with protecting status quos.
@@VideoAmericanStyle he elevated scorn in rhetoric to a heroic degree
@@webMonkey_ I remember saying these same words 50 years ago so I’m naturally forgiving of young people today mindlessly repeating the same leftist rhetoric. The truth is when I was young is when I was close minded about the threat of Marxism to America,bigoted against what I considered to be rich people and concerned with protecting myself from them.
Now I realize it’s the ruling elites that strive to divide us and keep us all at each other’s throats who are the enemy now as they were then. They are the ones who crave power that can only be achieved by Marxism with its complete control of society.
1:29:33 THIS, Is when they admit Buckley was the ultimate staunch bulwark of tribalism!?! During the "Watergate" part this program convinced me i had made up all the memories of Buckley DEFENDING Nixon, all the way through watergate!
Buckley was likable, articulate, smart,and seemed to believe what he said.
I don't agree with him on anything, but it's not immediately obvious why he's wrong.
Modern conservates are distractingly unlikable, stupid, and dishonest(not mistaken)
I want them to help me critique my own ideas and they're not helping
Quite an arrogant statement about conservatives. Liberals then are brainwashed, agenda driven, inflexible and intolerant of any opinions or speech that they don't agree with. That's why liberals are fighting to water down the First Amendment.
I immediately disliked Buckley because he was obviously anti-socialist, the very opposite of FDR and JFK, which made him dangerous, particularly when associated with the evil and uncaring Ronald Reagan.
His dressed up condescencion was cute at first glance but really dismissive and destructive.
@@nicolakirton2252So, you think JFK was a Socialist?
STUPID AND DISHONEST? The picture formed in my mind are Kamala and Joe Brandon.
I rather learn who WBJ is by reading his writing, the actual Oxford Union debate with Baldwin and his Firing Line interviews, not by the commentators.
It's one thing to come from a destitute traumatic background and make millions, somehow alone and without support and be bitter toward the government or liberalism etc. I get that. But I find Buckley to be incredibly sinister given his extraordinary privilege. Most New England's wealthy were pretty committed patrons of social causes or conservation or whatever. They had an ethic surrounding the public good. Buckley went to Millbrook School - an alternative prep school in the Hudson River Valley who's ethos was literally community service. Non Sibi Sed Cunctis. "not for oneself, but for all". The fact he attended that place and managed to not only resist that ethos, but to totally attack it for the rest of his life - is pretty revealing. Too bad the documentary missed this prep school topic as I think it is a particularly poignant anecdote.
His whole family was for the conservative cause of limited government, free market capitalism, and anti-socialism long before he went to Yale. He found his professors were atheist and socialists that he was against. That was his first real fight against the Yale indoctrination.
So, how does building up the community have anything to do with the Left, which hates organic communities?
“ If I knew someone was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life “
~ Thoreau
but he was working for the public good and that comes through individual contributions, not largess
@@agoodpitch9 no he was representing the interests of the robber barons of american industry
Love him or hate him he had the guts to tell it like it is and was in America