Conservatism Created

In the 23-Mar-09 issue of National Review, homage is paid to last year's
passing of William F. Buckley Jr..

Nearly fifty years ago, Mr. Buckley wrote what could be called a mission statement for the National Review, the strength of his intelligence set a standard for the fledgling conservative movement that Republicans seem to only fall short of.

Quotes from the statement...

It (referring to his new magazine) stands athwart History, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or have the much patience with those who urge it.

That would mean to stand up, erect, against the Liberal decay.

And....

The National Review is out of place, in the sense that the United Nations and the League of Women Voters and the New York Times and Henry Steele Commager are in place. It is out of place because, in its maturity, literary America rejected conservatism in favor of radical
liberal experimentation.

We reflect on those times as conservative, but we forget that FDR's New Deal was in full swing tinkering with the methods of redistribution and as WFB says "liberal experimentation".

And....

Radical conservatives in this country have an interesting time of it, for when they are not being suppressed or manipulated by the Liberals, they are being ignored or humiliated by a great many of those of the well-fed Right, whose ignorance and amorality have never been exaggerated for the same reason that one cannot exaggerate infinity.

In that your should hear no particular love for the Republicans. It was not until 25 years later when Reagan made Conservative psyche cool. Republicans as a political party are standing next to the Democrats, trying to look the same, they betray their calling with every un-conservative action.

And lastly...

For we offer, besides ourselves, a position that has not grown old
under the weight of a gigantic, parasitic bureaucracy, a position
untempered by the doctoral dissertations of a generation of PhD's in
social architecture, unattenuated by a thousand vulgar promises to a
thousand different pressure groups, uncorroded by a cynical contempt for human freedom.

Love it: a thousand vulgar promises to a thousand different pressure
groups

Buckley was a good man, who consolidated a durable set of Conservative
ideals