R.I.P. William Buckley

writing irish · Feb 27, 2008

jgmacg said:

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
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Yes.

Boom_70 · Feb 27, 2008

jgmacg said:

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
Click to expand...

Now that is how to write a classy tribute even though you opposed his politics. In full sentences as compared to writing irish's sound bite - "he was a douche"

JR · Feb 27, 2008

Bang on, JG.

You're right. We don't have public debate anymore in North America. And people seem to think that being a public intellectual is being a phony or "putting on airs". There's always been an anti-intellectual strain in N America but now it's worn as a badge of honour.

The debates in the last Ontario election were embarrassing. There were two reasonably intelligent and certainly decent men who had decided that screaming and name-calling made them "politicians'.

The only books I wish Buckley had never written were his CIA novels. God, were they awful.

pallister · Feb 27, 2008

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
Click to expand...

Great nonpartisan post.

black dude with pompano · Feb 27, 2008

As a northeastern Catholic, Buckley seemed uncomfortable with some of the evangelical, Southern crowd that now makes up the majority of the modern GOP.

Though he was conservative, he was willing to examine new ideas or reexamine his old ones. He deserves credit for being one of the first and most prominent conservatives to come out and say that the drug war was a farce. I thought that was pretty brave.

I don't think he ever became a caricature, and certainly not in the sense of today's right-wing talking heads. I often disagreed with him, but I usually found him thoughtful.

Ben_Hecht · Feb 27, 2008

pallister said:

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
Click to expand...

Great nonpartisan post.
Click to expand...

. . . . making a vital point, lost in the current din.

writing irish · Feb 27, 2008

Boom_70 said:

jgmacg said:

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
Click to expand...

Now that is how to write a classy tribute even though you opposed his politics. In full sentences as compared to writing irish's sound bite - "he was a douche"
Click to expand...

My initial post was not an attempt at a comprehensive retrospective on the legacy of Buckley. That should have been obvious.

Boom_70 · Feb 27, 2008

writing irish said:

Boom_70 said:

jgmacg said:

Put aside the partisanship for a few posts.

Buckley's death - and Mailer's not long ago and soon, inevitably, Vidal's - marks the end of a brief age in which we actually had public intellectuals in the United States. They engaged and fought one another in running firefights in newspapers and magazines and on television. They argued about ideas, not just ideologies. They debated important issues as if they mattered. They didn't condescend to their audience by dumbing themselves down, or by tarting themselves up. They spoke as they wrote, and brought to bear every rhetorical weapon they possessed. They were witty and erudite, sharp as serpent's teeth, and understood what made for great incendiary theater, if not always great real world policy. They spoke in sentences, not soundbites.

Take a quick YouTube tour of Mailer, Vidal and Buckley and you'll see how degraded and small the debate in this country has become. Read them.

As much as I opposed the fundamental premise of Mr. Buckley's politics, I am saddened by his death, and will miss very much his voice in our national chorus.
Click to expand...

Now that is how to write a classy tribute even though you opposed his politics. In full sentences as compared to writing irish's sound bite - "he was a douche"
Click to expand...

My initial post was not an attempt at a comprehensive retrospective on the legacy of Buckley. That should have been obvious.
Click to expand...

I stand by my observation - JG provides intelectual tribute and you provide sound bite. A man dies that you disagree with and you pay your respects by calling him a douche.

Frank_Ridgeway · Feb 27, 2008

writing irish said:

My initial post was not an attempt at a comprehensive retrospective on the legacy of Buckley. That should have been obvious.
Click to expand...

To those who can read, yes.

Flying Headbutt · Feb 27, 2008

Back on fucking topic and not sniping at each other. I'm a fucking grouch today and getting more ornery.

zeke12 · Feb 27, 2008

Headbutt was an ornery douche, but he knew his shit.

writing irish · Feb 27, 2008

I'm sorry I was working this morning and didn't have time to write a post long enough to make everyone happy. And I'm sorry I called a segregationist who opposed the civil rights movement a douche. (slinks away from thread)

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R.I.P. William Buckley

writing irish Active Member

Boom_70 Well-Known Member

JR Well-Known Member

pallister Guest

black dude with pompano Member

Ben_Hecht Active Member

writing irish Active Member

Boom_70 Well-Known Member

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R.I.P. William Buckley

writing irish Active Member

Boom_70 Well-Known Member

JR Well-Known Member

pallister Guest

black dude with pompano Member

Ben_Hecht Active Member

writing irish Active Member

Boom_70 Well-Known Member

Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

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