Barry Goldwater on the role of conservatism - Firing Line with William F. Buckley

A clip from William F. Buckley's 1966 interview with Barry Goldwater on "Firing Line."

www.missourah.com

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• firing line
• william f. buckley
• barry goldwater
• conservatism
• missourah.com

[JoseTwitterFan]

"..and the problem of Conservatism is that eventually, you run out of other people's competition."

-Jose, 18 years old, NYC

[moogrogue]

@JoseTwitterFan That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

[PiterdeVries03]

I didn't kmnow my computer could survive watching the two most prominent conservatives on the same screen.

[moogrogue]

@PiterdeVries03 At least Krauthammer wasn't anywhere nearby. That would have fried your PC.

[crimthann86]

oh this is amazing.. thanks so much for posting it..

[gexman31]

What does he mean when he says "I don't think we should put this thing through in a telephone booth?"

[TemplarLeonem]

Sorry, but the characterization is one- sided.

I suppose the maunderings of the Left are any less specious?

[skeilak]

Remember when these two gentlemen represented Conservativism in America?

Now it's Sean Hannity sucking up to Michele Bachmann.

Or watch the line-up of clowns at a Republican debate.

We've truly lost something good, and valuable, in our Nation.

[davebex13]

damn. looks like i missed the intellectual age of America.

[tomthefunky]

@mikesmith007x Capitalism is the voluntary buying and selling of goods and services in a free market. It has nothing to do with the problems we have today. Government interference in the free market as well has lunatic government spending is the source of our trouble.

And your comment regarding capitalism failing as bad as the Soviet Union is one of the stupidest things I ever read. I got friends from Moscow who would laugh in your face at such a foolish, idiotic comment.

[Eli1956]

Actually, what's amazing about this clip is that Goldwater (who for the record, I didn't really like) speaks entirely coherently, with logical arguments and for minutes at a time, which today's Republican candidates cannot do. There is also not a hint of the "sound bites" that are the norm today - only speaking in slogans, a few catchwords here and there...

[mikesmith007x]

How incredibly telling this video is. We have now officially tried what Goldwater advocates here from 1980 to 2008 and it totally blew up in our face. It failed as miserably as the Soviet Union failed. Modern day conservatism that advocates laissez faire capitalism is as destructive as pure socialism. Mixed economies have proven to be the best, i.e., Capitalism with smart and effective regulations and strong safety nets and unions to protect the people.

[ucsbsucks]

Thanks to Ross Douthat for linking to this video in his NY Times column this week.