Posted on 07/26/2023 10:15:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
“Buckley wasn’t who a lot of us thought he was towards the end.
He erred when he fired Sobran and Francis, in my opinion.”
Exactly. And that was far worse than error. It was capitulation to some influential neocons who had always despised actual conservatives. They still do.
But Buckley is to blame for the ruin of National Review. It was WFB who turned over his magazine to the useless sissy Rich Lowry. It only has gotten worse over time.
I remember hearing that Buckley had a sister who played a much bigger role in running NR than he did, back when it featured great writers. For me that was late ‘70s to maybe 1989. I suspect that NR went to hell after she retired or died.
Joe Sobran, Sam Francis, Chilton Williamson and some other NR refugees migrated over to Chronicles magazine and it became the redoubt for paleo and populist conservatives. The roots of MAGA were there 30 years ago.
I went to some NR fundraiser in Newport Beach in the early 1990s when we in California were battling illegal immigration with Prop 187. That NR crowd was utterly indifferent to what we were trying to do, just like the Bush GOP toadies that they had become.
Yep, I subscribed from 80-89, it was a good read then. But then again, so was the WSJ editorial page.
When I moved back to KC from Los Angeles years ago, I had to throw away all my back copies! One great thing about NR was I discovered Rob Long’s political writings. I knew he was a TV writer but was thrilled when his articles were in the magazine.
Sam Francis.
https://www.unz.com/print/Chronicles-1996mar-00012
Sam Francis was bitterly hated by the SPLC and politically correct Republicans. A young opportunist named Dinesh D’Souza (yes, that one) tried ingratiating himself with the MSM by smearing Francis with a racism charge.
“Sobran, Francis, Pat Buchanan and Robert Novak to a degree all warned Buckley about neoconservatives. They were right.”
This will be the best political memoir that you’ve ever read:
“The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington” - Robert Novak
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Darkness-Years-Reporting-Washington/dp/1400052009
” But then again, so was the WSJ editorial page.”
I used to read it back then, too. But in retrospect, at least for me, that WSJ editorial page was the brain trust of neocon globalism. “Proposition nation America” ruling the world.
The WSJ editors had zero concern about China turning America into an industrial wasteland. They same lack of concern they’ve always had about the transformation of America through mass immigration.
When Welch declared Ike to be a Conscious agent of the Communist Conspiracy for a start.
I don't think so. Buckley had been fighting for private property and free enterprise for 50 years. In 2000 it seemed like the war had been won and there were no more battles to fight. The USSR was no more, and Clinton was saying that the era of big government was over. Conservatives, it seemed, wouldn't have the experience of being outsiders in a minority who won over the country or world. So Buckley said that if he were young and wanted the same life he would be a socialist. He wasn't saying that socialism was a good idea or that private property should be abolished. Think of him as a lonely old Indian fighter who misses the fight and realizes that he has more in common with the Indians that with what replaced them. He wasn't wishing that the Indians had won. He missed the fight and missed the world of his youth.
Rush got sucked during W, but he was fierce during the Obama and Trump years. And NOBODY had his humor.
Rather goes to far, but he was definitely obtuse.
That goes to far.
Where is the far it is going to?
I don’t think he was actively pro- Communist. But, I NEVER forgive him for what he did to McCarthy.
Rich Lowrey raped and killed NR.
Especially after the Venona transcripts came out and vindicated all of McCarthy’s names.
The JBS was a fascinating organization.
They made some wild charges, no doubt about that—but they did amazing research on topics nobody else would touch.
When I was in college I would sneak in some of their original research in my papers—and of course the profs have never read any of their stuff so had no clue where it was coming from—and it worked well.
Example—they were responsible for the “flouridation is a Commie plot” silliness—but when you dug deeper they had a book discussing how Alcoa had used their corporate power to push their flouride waste products on municipalities and bribed dental authorities as well.
This was covered nowhere else but most folks now understand that flouride’s benefits were overstated and the risks were understated.
I did get a chance to meet some of their senior folks—they were brilliant and had to be super-tough to take all the heat they were getting.
Bottom line—I respected them a thousand times more than my professors that towed the “party line” or were afraid to risk offending powerful people.
indeed...
a quote from your home page bears repeating:
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
—Robert Heinlein
And when he said it was all right to kill Terri Schiavo.
Unbelievable! One can only hope that it was due to senility...
_______________
PS: I also really liked Joseph Sobran!
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