As a lucky American now retired in France, and never trustng the Bush family, changed to Euros long ago, I paid for it! Sort of…
I’m well aware of the Buckley’s, working and living in Connecicut for 21 years; in fact did some work for them via their servants. (Luxury goods of course) Really dreadful people.
What’s funny over here is Buckley was such a nothing it missed the press he loved to hound. ie that he’s dead. I think.. is he? I read a few ‘Chris’ articles - a few Ok - but no Vidal. Just a well educated cheap-shot.
What bothers me most about the catastrophe Bush/Cheney AND CONGRESS have given the American people is at least there are Gore Vidals & others from overseas who came here. Can any foreign intellectual today want to meet Cindy Sheenan?
This is what Gore Vidal gives us, which the next generation won’t. GET REAL AMERICA! We don’t have much to offer the rest of the world until we CHANGE!

Yes, William F. Buckley was a true simpleton (and tasteless at that), I believe that would make him an insipid ninny. 

We scream loudest about the things we are most guilty of and boy that seems true of the right who are always screaming about something since speaking softly about it would draw no attention.

Gore Vidal never seems to be blown off course.  He just tells the highly unvarnished truth, and lets the reader either digest it or find it indigestible.  Good to see that age and a wheelchair have not blunted his blade.

Gore Vidal called Buckley a queen.  And his son an imbecile.  And called out the so-called liberal media for the intolerant wack-jobs and shills to the Right that they are.  I get the sense that Mr. Vidal is as embarrassed to be an American as most of us are now.

As an aside, one of my favorite Buckley moments was when ABC had big roundtable after the first airing of “The Day After.” Buckley was trying to respond to something, mostly through drunken mumbling, holding his fountain pen to his cheek as he so often did, and Ted Koppel, the moderator, told him to sit up straight and speak into the microphone.  Let’s just say that Koppel completely punked him, and Buckley knew it.  I think Carson may have done the same once.

Thanks, Mr. Vidal, we’ll forgive the sloppy Latin.

Mr. Vidal, what might ever change this land’s most indoctrinated population in history than the shock of learning 9/ll is inside?  I tell old friends go to patriotsquestion9/ll.  They get their shock.  Maybe they say this is shills, I say to them they have yet to go there, here be from 40 two Septembers back now a thousand famous howling, known people, besides the firemen trying to speak to Michael Moorer and so on. Hey, we have got to start.  Hey, keep your noble self in the flesh a time further, life on Earth might improve, be worth a good drink.

My God.  Purple Girl’s channeled Buckley!

I read God and Man at Yale while I was an undergrad and wondered even then why WFB did not simply transfer to Holy Cross or Georgetown if he found the agnosticism at Yale so threatening. His analytical skills might well have been improved had he taken Catholic theology or Philosophy at a Catholic school.

Later I watched his TV until he brutally attacked a very elderly Norman Thomas whom he had invited to be his guest. It was a despicable display and formed my permanent distaste for all things Buckley.  He made a career of enlarging himself at the expense of others. I trust he has gone into the void he deserves.

Fans of Gore Vidal should read this interview he did for CityPages three years ago.

http://citypages.com/databank/26/1268/article13085.asp

The man is right on the money… as usual.

Thanks, Gore Vidal for telling it like it was.  The most I remember about William Buckley was his “batting” his eyes every few moments.

Let’s hope that some day we get only truth from the media.

J. Tracy

Although I agree with some of what Mr. Vidal says above, his label; “Lier” falls flat on the basis of Videl’s own prevarications.

He rails about the country being in the position it is because Gore Vidal’s latest novel, authors tell “...fictional stories about actual people”

One only need read “Burr” to understand Vidal’s hypocrisies.  My mother approached him at Random House in 1973 after she had completed the book. She asked “why did you call it Burr as it is devoid of all but a few generalized facts on the man” He curled his lip and sneered at her “Why do you think it says “A Novel?”

Vidal has a warped unequal standard. Had Vidal died first, Buckley could have made the assertions above, and they would have carried the same weight.

ROCK ON, Gore!!!

Gore Vidal is a treasure.  While I’m not sure he has been on the right side of every issue, on most issues one can be assured he will call a spade a spade. 

Buckley, otoh, was an intelligent asshole who should have known better.

Bravo, Mr. Vidal, for stepping up and speaking out.  You, sir, are treasure.

After months of not blogging.... I return to find a new column from Gore Vidal!!

It was with bemusement that I saw the solemn fawning television coverage of Buckley’s passing. From many self-professed people on the left, who admired his ability with words....his cultured manner....blah blah blah.

To hear a few profess that National Review was “required” reading and such similar nonsense, by self-proclaimed “Democrats”....Well no wonder we’re in the mess we’re in.

But I could only think to that moment in 68’. When you confronted the eye-popping droll wind bag...it’s the stuff of lore.

I was just 5 years old in 68’, but recall an earlier time where progressive thought at least had a chance on the air waves...Dick Cavett and others, long before the Reagan changes in ad time allotted to broadcasters. Long uninterrupted speech, the stuff interesting talk shows once had....only found now on C-Span.

But a few scratchy poor quality black and white short clips exist on YouTube of your near brawl with the condescending snob Buckley. I guess his facade was dropped when cornered.

In light of what has passed over these ensuing years , your use of “crypto-Nazi,” turned out to be on the mark...and more telling than his reaction to rioting outside.

Considering where the conservative “movement” is now, it’s time to drop “crypto” from their ideology.... It’s passed being veiled...rather it’s unveiled and true to form when called out on it , indignant anger is the only response.

See: idiot Jonah Goldberg some think tank twit, who has written some complete revisionist view of history “Liberal Fascism” where he claims fascist movements of the 20th century were liberal constructs! that’s how bad the misinformation is today.

Or a descendant of Herbert Hoover writing of the Depression years, reams of revisionist crap. In essence accusing FDR’s policies of prolonging the Depression. Overlooking the depression was well under way for three years before Roosevelt took office, and still deepening. Hoover’s hands off waiting for the “business cycle” to self correct things, was judged in 32’ when he was ousted in a landslide. FDR judged by his reelection to four terms.

See, when they can’t handle the truth they lash out , accuse you of their sins, and refute historical facts with very selective use of history. So adherant to bastardizing of the word “Freedom” to apply mainly to property. It’s beyond ignorance, and can only be seen as willful attempts at misinformation, something the National Socialists in Germany were prolific at.

Nothing “crypto” about that.

Gore Vidal is a treasure.  While I’m not sure he has been on the right side of every issue, on most issues one can be assured he will call a spade a spade. 

Buckley was an intelligent asshole who should have known better.

Bravo Mr. Vidal for stepping up and speaking out.  You, sir, are treasure.

Mr. Vidal is our greatest living man of letters.  I hope Kurt Vonnegut—perhaps his closest peer when alive—is smiling down on him from above.

I enjoyed Bill Buckley’s novel “Stained Glass” as well as Gore Vidal’s “Burr.” The best way for them would have been the duel with pistols; in earlier times I would have figured Buckley as playing the part of the pushy loon, Burr, but on reading Vidal’s piece here I’m not so sure. Vidal is cool, of course, and here has given me a really good belly-laugh. Buckley’s ghost is swirling around Vidal right now, fucking with keys on the typewriter and such.

Thank you, Mr Vidal. Finally someone who has the balls to speak the truth about the ignorant, self-important pedantic ass that was Mr William F. Buckley. He never, EVER, won an argument on the merits; yet, because he could verbally confuse most who would dare speak to him, he, like the French, managed to SEEM intelligent, instead of actually BE intelligent.

Thank you, Mr Vidal, then, for your rare sanity.