RIP WFB
February 28th, 2008 Comments Off
Unfortunately, the X and Y Generations didn’t know and can’t appreciate the significance of William F. Buckley. A rumpled genius with an odd smile, a wicked sense of humor and an unparalleled grasp of the issues of our time, “WFB” was the godfather of the modern American conservative movement.
An academician, a scholar, an author all, but, most importantly, a thinker. His recurring jousts with liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith were epic. Watching the these two intellectual giants was an education in politics, economics, civility and – linguistics.
I recall the two of them on a televison show in the ’70′s during which Galbraith questioned Buckley’s use of a particular word. JKG probably knew instantly that it was a bad idea. Those of us who were Buckley followers gave a nationally collective “OOOOOOOOOO,” as if someone told Dirty Harry he wasn’t so tough, or when Elwood Blues told Ray Charles a keyboard didn’t have any life let in it.
Buckley, his eyes twinkling – and his eyes really did twinkle on such occasions – his eyebrows arching, head tilted back, told the host “If I have misused that particular word, I shall eat the dictionary that proves me incorrect.”
Buckley never ate his words – or a dictionary.
For those who do not know William F. Buckley, I recommend you read the flood of obits, read about him and read some of his writings. You don’t have to agree, but you’ll be better for having been introduced.
What I fear is that the passing of this Conservative icon is a portent of things to come in 2008.
