William F. Buckley, Donald Trump, and conservativism

[Cyrano]

Remember William F. Buckley who was called “The Father of Conservatism?” I watched him on TV a few years back and he seemed to be a conservative with a brain. A right-wing “thinker.” I even read much of his writings. For a while, I believed him to actually be an intellectual. And then, at some point in life, (while I may have been high on some substance), it occurred to me that the phrase "conservative intellectual" was on a par with the phrase "military intelligence."

It struck me that Buckley possessed what was perhaps, one of the largest vocabularies of any human being on earth. His vocabulary, together with his affectations, his voice, his delivery, and his overall demeanor, gave the impression that "This is one very, very intelligent guy."

Was he? Can intelligence be measured by vocabulary and disposition?

I have no idea why this question came to me while watching him. But at that moment, I ignored the window dressing and paid attention to the crux of his arguments, his ideology, his world view, and his lack of empathy for less fortunate human beings. And I realized that he was pushing ideas that I found odious when voiced by lesser salesmen. I saw that he was peddling a version of human interactions that I was totally opposed to and abhorred. I understood that he was offering nothing more than brilliantly packaged snake oil.

An almost zero lack of empathy seems to be a common trait among conservatives. And to me, it negates the value of virtually everything else they claim to believe. And it confirms the ugliness of the world they want to see come about.

So all of this intellectual masturbation brings me to the subject of Donald Trump. It’s my contention that Trump is the ultimate result of Buckley’s “philosophy.” Trump is William F. Buckley without the vocabulary, the education, the polish, or the platinum packaged persona. This naked, would-be emperor named Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for president, and far too many fools believe he’s a savior who has the answers to their problems.

To put this as bluntly as possible, Donald Trump will fuck the people of America beyond all repair. Especially those who worship him the most.

[Todays_Illusion]

1. William Buckley was a racist anti-labor POS

And after the JB Society tarred themselves by calling Eisenhower a world commie leader, was very much behind the creation of the Heritage Foundation that presented all the Bircher economic and political ideas that he voiced with such pseudo intellectual sounding talking points and outright lies.

But yes he was as intelligent as one can be while being a conservative ideologue, like the Kochs who aren't dummies, they are clever haters.

I knew we had lost PBS when he was made a part of it.

[saidsimplesimon]

2. K&R, thank you Cyrano

Buckley Sr. was a member of the John Birch Society, supported the lurid, illegal and un-American Senator McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover's "hunt for the reds".

So all of this intellectual masturbation brings me to the subject of Donald Trump. It’s my contention that Trump is the ultimate result of Buckley’s “philosophy.” Trump is William F. Buckley without the vocabulary, the education, the polish, or the platinum packaged persona. This naked, would-be emperor named Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for president, and far too many fools believe he’s a savior who has the answers to their problems.

[OilBurnerBob]

3. Polished turd

The vocabulary was just a way to polish the turd of his thinking... there was no there there!

[Mc Mike]

4. He was a CIA oil nazi. But your point about him paving the way for dRumpf

is right. 100%

[TheBlackAdder]

5. Performing a critical analysis on "God, and Man, at Yale," shows him to be a complete fucking moron.

[loyalsister]

6. The confrontation model

He and Noam Chomskey's confrontations serve as the predescesor to the conflict driven punditry that dominates cable news follows.