death of WFB

[last_angry_man]

Founder of the right wing rag, the National Review, William F. Buckley died in his study last night. while I disagreed with everyone of his positions on just about everything, my late mom thought he was the greatest thing alive. If only because his passing made me think about my family (an all too rare occurence) I offer WFB a non-judgemental RIP.

[Publius]

He was at least entertaining.

Watch the YouTube video of him debating Chomsky on Vietnam. His whole act is a riot, his faux-British accent, his gesticulations with the pencil, it's all great stuff.

I wish I could look like I was an expert as well as he did.

[last_angry_man]

His whole act is a riot, his faux-British accent, his gesticulations with the pencil, it's all great stuff.

But that reptilian thing he had going on with his tongue....what the fuck was up with that? For those too young to have seen 'Firing Line' WFB had this bizarre habit of holding is mouth open, pointing his tongue, and then waving it around like he was about to zap a fly as it flew by. It was so distracting that I sometimes had a hard time following whatever he was talking about.

[Demogorgon]

I wonder if Gore Vidal will be at the funeral :lol:

[Bud Struggle]

I truly loved the man. He brought wit and charm to hard edged politics. He fought like a deamon for his side to win, but personally he was warm and gentle. He could separate the business end of things from the human.

He was a really nice guy, which is a quality muchly in lacking in politicos of any sympathy. I first discovered him in college--I was walking down the isle of the school library and saw a bood title: "The Governor Listeth" and I thought "what an odd title for a book" and just started reading. It was amazing! It was some of the most sublime witty, clever prose I had ever read. And wildly conservative.

I was brought up in a VERY Democratic (Party) pro-labor (Dad was a shop steward) household. Very poor, very working class (the union didn't do a hell of a lot for Dad) and very Catholic. And I thought what my family and everyone that my family knew thought. Everyone I knew was working class. I was going to be working class and Democratic, too (though "next generation" college educated working class.) I grew up in a mill town in Connecticut and there was Buckley, also very Catholic and just down the road in the "other" big house, big money Connecticut. And his book said to me: "Tom, why don't you clean up your act and move down the road a bit?"

So I did. I got off my ass and with my brother started a printing business my college dorm, built it up, sold that bought a two family house at 19, etc. And here I am years later, Admiral of the Queen's Navy.

William F. Buckley, Jr--God bless him, I owe that man alot.

[Demogorgon]

I truly loved the man. He brought wit and charm to hard edged politics. He fought like a deamon for his side to win, but personally he was warm and gentle. He could separate the business end of things from the human.

Come on, you may like him politically. But Buckley is one of the few people I have heard of who threatened to beat up an opponent in a political debate for disagreeing with them.

[Bud Struggle]

He as passionate at times. And if you are talking about the Gore Vidal incident, he apologized for it later. Vidal never apologized for his equally egregious part in that mess. But in general Buckley wasn't a pugnacious person.

Anyway, have you read some of the comments about people's attitude toward violence (for the cause) on this site? :D:che:

[Dean]

Founder of the right wing rag, the National Review, William F. Buckley died in his study last night. while I disagreed with everyone of his positions on just about everything, my late mom thought he was the greatest thing alive. If only because his passing made me think about my family (an all too rare occurence) I offer WFB a non-judgemental RIP.

I feel sad that he died such a scumbag. Other than that, I don't feel bad - a purveyor of poison just died.

[Bud Struggle]

I feel sad that he died such a scumbag. Other than that, I don't feel bad - a purveyor of poison just died.

And I thought the last angry man was the last angry man. :lol:

[Dr Mindbender]

He was at least entertaining.

Watch the YouTube video of him debating Chomsky on Vietnam. His whole act is a riot, his faux-British accent, his gesticulations with the pencil, it's all great stuff.

I wish I could look like I was an expert as well as he did.

here is that debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlMEVTa-PI

With all respect to him, he sounds like a pompous wind bag. He won't let Chomsky get a word in edge-ways.

[Publius]

here is that debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlMEVTa-PI

With all respect to him, he sounds like a pompous wind bag. He won't let Chomsky get a word in edge-ways.

The best part: Chomsky catches him taking bullshit about a communist insurgency before the Nazi invasion. Buckley, though, isn't rattled. He calls it "a difference in nomenclature" and changes the subject.

That's a kind of rhetorical audacity that we mere mortals can only aspire to.

The whole debate is like that -- it's brilliant.

[Dean]

He was at least entertaining.

Watch the YouTube video of him debating Chomsky on Vietnam. His whole act is a riot, his faux-British accent, his gesticulations with the pencil, it's all great stuff.

I wish I could look like I was an expert as well as he did.

I remember watching that debate and thinking how stupid he was. I was really surprised at the primitive level of thinking exhibited by Buckley, and I am surprised now to recognize the name in conjunction with such praise from TomK. A person with any intelligence promoting him is a scary sight.

[Jazzratt]

I'm trying immensly hard to give a fuck about this guy dying, but it's just not happening.