Last night, I continued my schedule of attempting to catch up with the interviews of William F. Buckley. Considering how I was born in 1988, it was rather difficult to watch the program live, especially in the household I grew up in.
Anyway, on one episode of Buckley’s “Firing Line,” the 1988 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Ron Paul was being interviewed about his bid for the White House and where the party stands on many of the issues.
For someone who has supported Dr. Paul’s presidential candidacy, it was rather a difficult interview to watch because nothing ever changes. Although I do respect Buckley’s calm demeanor and intellectual suave, I didn’t understand his need for condescension towards Dr. Paul.
The interview was rather interesting and it was great to see Dr. Paul use his logic and intellect to correct Buckley’s fallacious didacticisms that he attempted to present to the bestselling author and libertarian.
Buckley, who has interviewed such men and other heroes of mine as Thomas Sowell, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman and others, was a compelling man and definitely a joy to listen to (I’m a sucker for intricate language). I will always recommend people to watch his interviews, considering how it’s impossible to find similar programs on today’s television set.
However, it was just frustrating to see another media personality bully Dr. Paul, even nearly 30 years ago. I always like to put it into context, though. What has Dr. Paul accomplished today, despite the media behavior? He has started a freedom movement, a world-renowned icon to liberty lovers everywhere, a bestselling author, a three-time presidential candidate and integrity that cannot be matched by anyone in Washington.
It’s a four-part interview and the video can be found below.
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