Arched Eyebrow

Of course, I'm referring to the recently late, and now eternally great, William F. Buckley, Jr.

I came to admire him late, as I have always suspected conservatives as people with not much in the way of compassion, but my suspicion denied me the pleasure of apprehending the value in a way of thinking that seems largely structurally sound. Not all of it, mind you ...

What I mean is that Buckley, one of the architects of the New Conservatism [was he a conservative or a libertarian? Depends on which day you asked him], was a post-WWII creation, a child of much privilege. Perhaps not the best fellow to ask about civil rights or the labor movement [both things helped advance our experience of civilization in profound ways that were not immediately apparent during their nascency.]

Conservatives are not good with societal change, generally. And Buckley was no exception. He was glaringly, embarrassingly wrong on civil rights. He admitted that. But be fair - he also left the American Mercury due to its anti-Semitic leanings.

To focus on his shortcomings would be to ignore the immeasurable gift he bestowed upon us all, as Americans. Long before the Watergate break-in was exposed, thus ushering in a popular skepticism of government, Buckley had advocated - forcefully and correctly, as it turned out - the same position, albeit from the right. One must credit Buckley with being appropriately concerned.

Also, the current group of anti-war drum beaters owe a debt of gratitude to Buckley. He was there first as well, arguing against involvement in illegal, expensive foreign wars under the guise of "nation-building."

And so on. One could write volumes on his correct pronouncements.

But mainly, I admired Buckley because he could construct an argument that came at you with a relentless intelligence, an unapologetic high-mindedness. He elevated the discourse in every subject he undertook to write about, and his writing about a subject made the reader take it with greater seriousness. The same cannot be said of any other current commentator that I can name.

Also, Buckley occupied a large swath of the collective cultural consciousness. In the latter half of the 20th century, one could name perhaps 10 Americans who loomed so large. Dylan. Reagan. Updike. Brando. People like that. People who mattered to us, who helped change the nature of how we think about ourselves and our culture. And when one of those people leave us, we wait, with some degree of apprehension, to see who will carry the mantle.