Changes

[[Image:6436rtdhgf.jpg|right|thumb|William F. Buckley, Jr., on his long-running television show [[Firing Line]].]]

[[Image:6436rtdhgf.jpg|right|thumb|William F. Buckley, Jr., on his long-running television show [[Firing Line]].]]

'''William Frank Buckley Jr.''' ([[New York City]], November 24, 1925 - Stamford, February 27, 2008) was a prominent [[conservative]] -- but [[globalist]] -- author and commentator during the second half of the 20th century.  He is best known for founding the [[National Review]].  He also hosted [[Firing Line]], a talk show featured for years on the otherwise [[liberal]] public television channel [[PBS]].  Buckley was admired on both sides of the political spectrum for his seemingly limitless vocabulary, and his intellectual wit.  But he was not a [[grassroots]] activist, and had no outstanding political achievements.

'''William Frank Buckley Jr.''' ([[New York City]], November 24, 1925 – Stamford, February 27, 2008) was a prominent [[conservative]] – but [[globalist]] – author and commentator during the second half of the 20th century.  He is best known for founding the [[National Review]].  He also hosted [[Firing Line]], a talk show featured for years on the otherwise [[liberal]] public television channel [[PBS]].  Buckley was admired on both sides of the political spectrum for his seemingly limitless vocabulary and his intellectual wit.  But he was not a [[grassroots]] activist and had no outstanding political achievements.

Buckley's political views did not represent the future of the conservative movement as much as its past, and he did not speak out enough about the big social issues that would dominate the future of politics.  For example, he was mostly silent about [[ERA]], the defining issue for the modern conservative movement.  Buckley was initially unwilling to take the [[pro-life]] side of the [[abortion]] issue, in the 1960s, for which he was sharply criticized by other conservatives at the time.  Also, Buckley was a [[globalist]], contrary to modern conservatives.  For example, Buckley supported [[NAFTA]] and giving away the [[Panama Canal]], despite its strategic significance and how the [[United States]] had built and paid for it.  Buckley also favored legalizing [[marijuana]].

Buckley's political views did not represent the future of the conservative movement as much as its past, and he did not speak out enough about the big social issues that would dominate the future of politics.  For example, he was mostly silent about [[ERA]], the defining issue for the modern conservative movement.  Buckley was initially unwilling to take the [[pro-life]] side of the [[abortion]] issue, in the 1960s, for which he was sharply criticized by other conservatives at the time.  Also, Buckley was a [[globalist]], contrary to modern conservatives.  For example, Buckley supported [[NAFTA]] and giving away the [[Panama Canal]], despite its strategic significance and how the [[United States]] had built and paid for it.  Buckley also favored legalizing [[marijuana]].

Buckley was born to a devoutly [[Roman Catholic]] family. The son of an oilman who made a fortune in Mexico, Buckley was educated in an English preparatory school as a teenager. He studied Spanish in [[Mexico City]] (1943, UNAM) (Buckley's first language had been Spanish, having been raised by Mexican nannies).

Buckley was born to a devoutly [[Roman Catholic]] family. The son of an oilman who made a fortune in Mexico, Buckley was educated in an English preparatory school as a teenager. He studied Spanish in [[Mexico City]] (1943, UNAM) (Buckley's first language had been Spanish, having been raised by Mexican nannies).

Prior to the outbreak of [[World War II]], future historian Alistair Horne became an evacuee, and grew up together with Buckley.  They were lifelong friends.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/11/books/the-only-childhood-i-ever-had.html?pagewanted=all 'The Only Childhood I Ever Had'], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

Prior to the outbreak of [[World War II]], future historian Alistair Horne became an evacuee, and grew up together with Buckley.  They were lifelong friends.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/11/books/the-only-childhood-i-ever-had.html 'The Only Childhood I Ever Had'], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

Buckley graduated from the Millbrook School in New York in 1943, and from Yale College in 1950.

Buckley graduated from the Millbrook School in New York in 1943, and from Yale College in 1950.

His first book was a very successful expose the [[liberal]] failures of Yale College, "God and Man at Yale" (1951).  It detailed what he saw as the collectivist and anti-Christian leanings of one of [[America]]'s foremost universities.  

His first book was a very successful expose the [[liberal]] failures of Yale College, "God and Man at Yale" (1951).  It detailed what he saw as the collectivist and anti-Christian leanings of one of [[America]]'s foremost universities.  

In 1955 Buckley founded ''The National Review'' (NR), a biweekly magazine of political opinion. [[Ronald Reagan]] was a longtime subscriber to National Review. Through the magazine he fostered the idea of a conservative movement.   

In 1955 Buckley founded ''The National Review'' (NR), a biweekly magazine of political opinion. [[Ronald Reagan]] was a longtime subscriber to National Review. Through the magazine, he fostered the idea of a conservative movement.   

[[Image:Wf-buckley.jpg|thumb|200px]]

[[Image:Wf-buckley.jpg|thumb|200px]]

Buckley belatedly supported [[intelligent design]], a halfway position for an intellectual not willing to admit that the [[theory of evolution]] is as much a liberal hoax as [[global warming]] is.

Buckley belatedly supported [[intelligent design]], a halfway position for an intellectual not willing to admit that the [[theory of evolution]] is as much a liberal hoax as [[global warming]] is.

During [[World War II]] Buckley was in the U. S. Army, but was never deployed overseas.<ref>http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/qa-with-sam-tanenhaus-on-william-f-buckley/?_r=0</ref>

During [[World War II]] Buckley was in the U. S. Army, but was never deployed overseas.<ref>http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/qa-with-sam-tanenhaus-on-william-f-buckley/</ref>

Buckley wrote over 50 books about history, politics and sailing, and a series of spy novels (which featured the fictitious Yale graduate Blackford Oakes) that were consistent best sellers.   

Buckley wrote over 50 books about history, politics and sailing, and a series of spy novels (which featured the fictitious Yale graduate Blackford Oakes) that were consistent best sellers.   

{{quotebox|Buckley, doing it his way, became one of the most influential writers and journalists of the past century – in the august company of [[Walter Lippmann]], [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] and [[George Orwell]]. The latter two came to symbolize what was at stake in the spiritual and moral struggle against the [[totalitarian]] mentality. But Buckley spearheaded the counterrevolution in the West that emboldened [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]], [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]] and [[John Paul II]] to confront and defeat the [[Soviet Empire]].<ref name="intellectualconservative.com">http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/03/05/introduction-to-crossing-swords/</ref>}}

{{quotebox|Buckley, doing it his way, became one of the most influential writers and journalists of the past century – in the august company of [[Walter Lippmann]], [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] and [[George Orwell]]. The latter two came to symbolize what was at stake in the spiritual and moral struggle against the [[totalitarian]] mentality. But Buckley spearheaded the counterrevolution in the West that emboldened [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]], [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]] and [[John Paul II]] to confront and defeat the [[Soviet Empire]].<ref name="intellectualconservative.com">http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/03/05/introduction-to-crossing-swords/</ref>}}

===Opposition to the Republican Establishment===

===Opposition to the Republican Establishment===

Buckley founded National Review in an atmosphere where [[RINO]]s ran the show.  In the 1955 Mission Statement for NR, he lamented the "well-fed right" (who at that time was a combination of Eisenhower Republicans and Rockefeller Republicans) for their smears and mistreatment of rock-ribbed, future Reaganite and Tea Party conservatives.<ref name="mission">[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/223549/our-mission-statement-william-f-buckley-jr Our Mission Statement], by William F. Buckley</ref>  To be a conservative meant to be a "non-licenced nonconformist" in an atmosphere dominated by conformist RINOs.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=etQ6AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945]</ref>  At the time of its founding, National Review was not popular among liberal republicans, notably Allen Tate, mainly because of the magazine's strong support of [[Joe McCarthy]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=I03qCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT142 The Rebuke of History: The Southern Agrarians and American Conservative Thought]</ref> and Peter Viereck<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=pQMAsT7HlEsC&pg=PA168 Why Americans Hate Politics]</ref>

Buckley founded National Review in an atmosphere where [[RINO]]s ran the show.  In the 1955 Mission Statement for NR, he lamented the "well-fed right" (who at that time was a combination of Eisenhower Republicans and Rockefeller Republicans) for their smears and mistreatment of rock-ribbed, future Reaganite and Tea Party conservatives.<ref name="mission">[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/223549/our-mission-statement-william-f-buckley-jr Our Mission Statement], by William F. Buckley</ref>  To be a conservative meant to be a "non-licenced nonconformist" in an atmosphere dominated by conformist RINOs.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=etQ6AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945]</ref>  At the time of its founding, National Review was not popular among liberal Republicans, notably Allen Tate, mainly because of the magazine's strong support of [[Joe McCarthy]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=I03qCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT142 The Rebuke of History: The Southern Agrarians and American Conservative Thought]</ref> and Peter Viereck<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=pQMAsT7HlEsC&pg=PA168 Why Americans Hate Politics]</ref>

Within a decade of the magazine's founding, the GOP would nominate a candidate strongly opposed by members of the Rockefeller wing of the party, [[Barry Goldwater]].<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/obit/2008/02/william_f_buckley_rip.html William F. Buckley, RIP]</ref>  Again, in 1980 [[Ronald Reagan]] was nominated to the consternation of Establishment Republicans wherever they could be found.

Within a decade of the magazine's founding, the GOP would nominate a candidate strongly opposed by members of the Rockefeller wing of the party, [[Barry Goldwater]].<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/obit/2008/02/william_f_buckley_rip.html William F. Buckley, RIP]</ref>  Again, in 1980 [[Ronald Reagan]] was nominated to the consternation of Establishment Republicans wherever they could be found.

Buckley died of a [[heart attack]] in 2008, he was 82.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-buckley28feb28-story.html William F. Buckley Jr., 82; author and founder of modern conservative movement]</ref>

Buckley died of a [[heart attack]] in 2008, he was 82.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-buckley28feb28-story.html William F. Buckley Jr., 82; author and founder of modern conservative movement]</ref>

Historian [[George H. Nash]] wrote of him that ''William F. Buckley Jr. was arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States in the past half century. For an entire generation he was the preeminent voice of American conservatism and its first great ecumenical figure. He changed minds, he changed lives, and he helped to change the direction of American politics.''<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/223788/simply-superlative-george-h-nash Simply Superlative]</ref>

Historian [[George H. Nash]] wrote of him that ''William F. Buckley Jr. was arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States in the past half-century. For an entire generation, he was the preeminent voice of American conservatism and its first great ecumenical figure. He changed minds, he changed lives, and he helped to change the direction of American politics.''<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/223788/simply-superlative-george-h-nash Simply Superlative]</ref>

Shortly after Buckley's passing, Establishment Republicans began their attempts to co-opt the Buckley legacy by various means, most notably the ill-named "[[Buckley rule]]".  Members of the Establishment have conducted similar activity with former President Reagan as well.  Likewise, progressives have engaged in their own efforts to re-invent history, proclaiming how much they miss well-reasoned Buckley,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/opinion/where-have-you-gone-bill-buckley.html Where Have You Gone, Bill Buckley?]</ref> even though they engaged in efforts at the time to smear him as a Nazi<ref>[http://livinginphilistia.blogspot.com/2015/02/william-f-buckley-was-nazi.html William F Buckley was a Nazi!]</ref> and things no different than what you can hear in the news this very week.

Shortly after Buckley's passing, Establishment Republicans began their attempts to co-opt the Buckley legacy by various means, most notably the ill-named "[[Buckley rule]]".  Members of the Establishment have conducted similar activity with former President Reagan as well.  Likewise, progressives have engaged in their own efforts to re-invent history, proclaiming how much they miss well-reasoned Buckley,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/opinion/where-have-you-gone-bill-buckley.html Where Have You Gone, Bill Buckley?]</ref> even though they engaged in efforts at the time to smear him as a Nazi<ref>[http://livinginphilistia.blogspot.com/2015/02/william-f-buckley-was-nazi.html William F Buckley was a Nazi!]</ref> and things no different than what you can hear in the news this very week.

==References==

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

== External links ==

== External links ==