Archive for February 28th, 2008
Mr. Conservative In Heaven–William F. Buckley Jr. RIP
William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008)
William F. Buckley Jr. passed away Wednesday night.
For conservatives who grew up with the National Review and Firing Line, he was an inspiring and brilliant light.
He will be greatly missed by the men and woman of the American conservative movement.
May he rest in peace.
Bach – Brandenburg Concertos No.2 – iii: Allegro assai
Amazing Grace – Judy Collins and the choir
Background Articles and Videos
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Fox News – William F Buckley – Right From The Start
Conservative Icon William F. Buckley, Jr. Dies
Charlie Rose – An Appreciation of William F. Buckley
Man of Incessant Labor
Christopher Hitchens on Buckley.
by Christopher Hitchens
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/820eibyp.asp?pg=1
A Life Athwart History
By George Will
“…Before there could be Ronald Reagan’s presidency, there had to be Barry Goldwater’s candidacy. It made conservatism confident and placed the Republican Party in the hands of its adherents.
Before there could be Goldwater’s insurgency, there had to be National Review magazine. From the creative clutter of its Manhattan offices flowed the ideological electricity that powered the transformation of American conservatism from a mere sensibility into a fighting faith and a blueprint for governance.
Before there was National Review, there was Buckley, spoiling for a philosophic fight, to be followed, of course, by a flute of champagne with his adversaries. He was 29 when, in 1955, he launched National Review with the vow that it “stands athwart history, yelling Stop.” Actually, it helped Bill take history by the lapels, shake it to get its attention, and then propel it in a new direction. Bill died Wednesday in his home, in his study, at his desk, diligent at his life-long task of putting words together well and to good use. …”
Remembrances of Mr. Buckley
“… i still marvel whenever I read anything he’s written. I always will, and I’ll always continue to learn something from him no matter the fact that he’s gone. You can reread books that he’s written, books that he’s edited, columns. Go back and read some of the early National Reviews. They’re just as inspirational today as ever — to me, anyway — and I think to a lot of people as they were when they were first published. …”
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_022708/content/01125106.guest.html
An Era Ends
“…What Buckley sought to do was unite the traditionalist conservatives with libertarians – a marriage that today is strained beyond measure largely as a result of conservatism’s flirtation with big government and a curious desire to employ moral dogma as a club to try and tell people how to run their private lives. He succeeded in this unity of strange bedfellows by the force of his own vibrant personality reflected in his writings and by inventing a logical coherence that tied together the libertarian ideals of self sufficiency and unbridled personal freedom with the conservative belief in personal responsibility and a just moral order informed by Christian theology. He added a healthy dose of American exceptionalism and beliefs based on natural law to cement the marriage. …”
“…A great light in the firmament of American letters has been dimmed today. Buckley leaves a conservative movement in turmoil, a victim largely of its own success – a success for which he was largely responsible. We must make our own way now, climbing on the shoulders of greats like William Buckley to reach ever higher, bettering ourselves and the human condition while being inspired by the irrepressible and indomitable spirit who passed into legend today. …”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1977362/posts
William F. Buckley, Jr., RIP
Farewell to the man who created intellectual space for the libertarian movement
“…By creating National Review in 1955 as a serious, intellectually respectable conservative voice (challenging the New Deal consensus among thinking people), Buckley created space for the development of our movement. He kicked out the racists and conspiracy-mongers from conservatism and embraced Chicago and Austrian economists, introducing a new generation to Hayek, Mises, and Friedman. And thanks to the efforts of NR‘s Frank Meyer to promote a “fusion” between economic (free-market) conservatives and social conservatives, Buckley and National Review fostered the growth of a large enough conservative movement to nominate Goldwater for president and ultimately to elect Ronald Reagan. …”
“…I was far more impressed years later, as Buckley held court every week on his long-running PBS series Firing Line. Charming and witty, he engaged his guests in intellectual colloquy or combat, as the case might warrant. Those programs were a feast for the mind, the likes of which hasn’t graced the airwaves since Firing Line‘s demise. …”
http://reason.com/news/show/125210.html
Pronk Palisades 
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