I've always believed that conservatism is the politics of reality, and that reality ultimately asserts itself in a reasonably free society, in behalf of the conservative position. William F. Buckley, Jr. More Quotes by William F. Buckley, Jr. More Quotes From William F. Buckley, Jr. He [Cassius Clay] became a Black Muslim, which is a pseudo-religion for unbright neurotics who feel the need to hate all white people. William F. Buckley, Jr. hate white people Those who suffer from the abuse of drugs have themselves to blame for it. This does not mean that society is absolved from active concern for their plight. It does mean that their plight is subordinate to the plight of those citizens who do not experiment with drugs but whose life, liberty, and property are substantially affected by the illegalization of the drugs sought after by the minority. William F. Buckley, Jr. abuse drug mean I would rather be governed by the first 2000 people in the Manhattan phone book than the entire faculty of Harvard. William F. Buckley, Jr. phones book people Old ladies photographed by CBS who announced that they would die of malnutrition if Reagan's bill were passed could probably have saved themselves their impending penury by the simple device of applying to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists for scale every time they were featured by Dan Rather or whoever. William F. Buckley, Jr. media artist simple Professor Galbraith is horrified by the number of Americans who have bought cars with tail fins on them, and I am horrified by the number of Americans who take seriously the proposals of Mr. Galbraith. William F. Buckley, Jr. car money numbers Industry is the enemy of melancholy William F. Buckley, Jr. melancholy industry enemy The more complicated and powerful the job, the more rudimentary the preparation for it. William F. Buckley, Jr. preparation powerful jobs Conservatism is the tacit acknowledgement that all that is finally important in human experience is behind us; that the crucial explorations have been undertaken, and that it is given to man to know what are the great truths that emerged from them. William F. Buckley, Jr. exploration important men We have got to accept Big Government for the duration-for neither an offensive nor a defensive war can be waged, given our present government skills, except through the instrument of a totalitarian bureaucracy within our shores. … And if they deem Soviet power a menace to our freedom (as I happen to), they will have to support large armies and air forces, atomic energy, central intelligence, war production boards, and the attendant centralization of power in Washington-even with Truman at the reins of it all. William F. Buckley, Jr. army government war The real threat, as seen by the ACLU, is that religious behavior might give secular behavior a bad name, and that is, surely, unconstitutional. William F. Buckley, Jr. real religious names Mr. Rockefeller is due to entertain munificently at breakfast, and make his pitch. My advice to one invited guest was: Order caviar, and then say No. William F. Buckley, Jr. caviar advice order Did you know that forty percent of the words used by Shakespeare were used by him only once? William F. Buckley, Jr. percent forty used The sobering anwer is yes - the white community is so entitled because ... it is the advanced race ... it is more important ... to affirm and live by civilized standards ... than to bow to the demands of the numerical majority. William F. Buckley, Jr. community race white ...following Mrs. Roosevelt in search of irrationality was like following a burning fuse in search of an explosive. William F. Buckley, Jr. burning following government Friendship is strengthened by...that which ever so lightly elevates us from the trough of self-concern and self-devotion. William F. Buckley, Jr. concern devotion self A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it. William F. Buckley, Jr. art-history yelling conservative Now it is one thing to say I say it that people shouldn't consume psychoactive drugs. It is entirely something else to condone marijuana laws, the application of which resulted, in 1995, in the arrest of 588,963 Americans. Why are we so afraid to inform ourselves on the question? William F. Buckley, Jr. marijuana law people I find it easier to believe in God than to believe Hamlet was deduced from the molecular structure of a mutton chop. William F. Buckley, Jr. easier structure believe No one since the Garden of Eden - which the serpent forsook in order to run for higher office - has imputed to politicians great purity of motive. William F. Buckley, Jr. garden running order They are men and women who tend to believe that the human being is perfectible and social progress predictable, and that the instrument for effecting the two is reason; that truths are transitory and empirically determined; that equality is desirable and attainable through the action of state power; that social and individual differences, if they are not rational, are objectionable, and should be scientifically eliminated; that all people and societies strive to organize themselves upon a rationalist and scientific paradigm. William F. Buckley, Jr. individual-differences men believe
