Firing Line: Ron Paul and William F. Buckley (1988) - Part 3 of 4

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Ron Paul and William F. Buckley discussing a Constitutional Republic and the necessary evils of government. In 1988, Ron Paul was running as a Libertarian Presidential Candidate. yal.ucsd.edu

[@88BigEtrain]

Ron Paul is absolutely brilliant, and, as always, while being so smooth and explaining and making arguments in English so plain that an average Joe should be able to understand him. That's genius.

[@nickb3968]

I might be crucified for saying this, but I can't help but believe that at times Buckley is naive as to the functioning of government. In his arguments with Paul, he seems to argue that government is capable of being more efficient, less stupid, etc. et al on a routine basis...with Paul who actually at that point in time served in different capacities within said government for years, saying basically, "No, it can't." Paul's minarchism has always been a bit logically inconsistent, but at least it's headed in the right direction and I appreciate his focus on liberty.

[@7beers]

Ron Paul would make a great sitcom.

[@mandeqjama5414]

Ron Paul is the only right leaning guy I know that's been actually consistent with his views. Unlike mainstream conservatives/right-wingers, he talks about small government he actually means it. Other people, like Buckley, support small government in terms of gutting the social welfare state, but then supports ridiculous amount of funding for military and security.

[@notimelikethepresent4739]

This is the most clear and sick debating I've ever seen Ron do. These video's should have millions of views, not 9000...

[@roseagain2]

"They" always want to cure the symptom. Dr. Paul wants to cure the source. " My favorite part @ 12:40 Enough said.! I think history has definitely proven that guy wrong. Ron Paul for President 2012!

[@NLincolnHanks]

Remarkable! If you didn't know this was a video from the 1980s and didn't notice the lapel sizes and hair styles, you would assume this is Ron Paul, 2012. The principles are sound and they are consistent. Vote for him as our next president.

[@SuperDachshund]

Ron Paul makes Buckley look like a Progressive here. Absolutely incredible!

[@lw393]

"I think it's a contradiction to call a dictator a friend to America." Brilliant point, and relevant now in 2020 with bin Salman, al-Sisi, Erdogan, etc.

[@roughhabit9085]

What about the counter point that we supported Stalin over another dictator in the War ? Pinochet was a dictator but at least he granted his citizens economic freedom unlike Allende who was starving the people to death and making another country on the globe red !

[@poleag]

Ron Paul's responses to the Kissinger-wannabe's hypotheticals show that he's not just another scheming, realpolitikian. He's a man with principles. This is why his positions have been more consistent than anyone else's.

[@CurtHowland]

@Quiltingsando I did. I've voted Ron Paul for President twice. Looking forward to the third time!

[@whiff1962]

The psychoanalyst is not stating a Hobson's choice! There are no dictators that America needs embroil itself with!

[@cchap973]

Yes as fondly as Reagan is remembered ( and he is better then the crap we are dealing with now ) he never submitted a balanced budget!

[@VarialProductions]

uncontroooooollllllleeably!!!

[@MacbookProWizard]

3 minutes into the third second and I couldn't handling listening to WFB any longer.

[@sandersz211]

Yeah, you pretty much got it.

[@p1b1harper]

something you never heard will buck say in his life....youre right i hadnt thought of that... im wrong...i stand corrected

[@mrgringo22]

'I think it's a contradiction to talk about a Dictator who's a friend of America: America stands for Freedom and Individualism. Dictators aren't friends of Freedom.' Chew on that rebuttal, Van den HAAG!

[@BillyThorton68]

Fordam Professor was alive today would take back every question.

[@sandersz211]

"Get so poor we can't afford anything?"....we afford lots of things, the problem is we spend all that we can afford, and then borrow and print money to spend more.

[@icopaseticMHF]

12:20 Dr. Strangelove wants to know why Paul doesn't like covert C.I.A. actions. How else can we avoid a mine shaft gap?!

[@TheLegendaryDad]

Ron Paul: real life super hero

[@jackolini]

@obscuroslive I'm pretty sure Paul understands the Laffer curve, it isn't very complicated. I think you missed Paul's point, revenues went up 50% not because taxes were lower therefore the rich were more willing to pay the tax, revenues went up 50% because Reagan vastly expanded government.

[@sandersz211]

I wouldn't want to return to the gold standard, but there should be some type of intrinsic value in our currency. It could be gold, silver, anything that has real value. There should be more competition in currencies, and not simply allow the FED to have a monopoly on money creation. Besides we should have never allowed an economy based off borrowing to be established.

[@fiveminuteplan]

This is the tortured logic that America favors today: support one evil over another because it's in our "best interest." It may come as a shock to these guys, but there are people in this world who favor doing the right thing no matter what. Is it worth it to survive at any cost if it means compromising goodness and truth? Can we sleep at night knowing that we showed favor to monsters like Stalin and Sadam Hussein?

[@NotJoe101]

Like Dr.Paul himself & the rest of his movement, you seem to be confusing Progressive & Conservative. Paul choosing the Republican party speaks volumes to anyone who is truly awake.

[@reynoldsohoulihan]

@skeilak Would you care to list the points WFB takes Paul to school on?

[@Bigturns33]

I think Buckley and Paul are correct. Reagan could only go along with what was agreed upon ofcourse there was an increase in revenue through taxation in attemp to create a balanced budget. This never came because of the demos. The money was given and the reign was given to spend more. Paul is arguing on principle in that reagan never should have given them the light of day! You do not compromise principle.

[@azure6]

Always, do the inferior attack that which they cannot intellectually or spiritually comprehend.

[@engine2truck6]

What exactly are "American Interests"? That phrase sounds like "America's National Security Interests" but it is not the same thing. The gentleman at 13:45 advocates local police departments using tax dollars to favor the Corleone Family over the Tatalia Family, so long as it is in the "best Interest" of the local government.

[@rios9000]

Say what you will about Buckley, but we don't have these kind of intellectual discussion on mainstream television today. Instead we get 5 minutes of tripe (unless Ron Paul is being interviewed of course)

[@RipTheJackR]

Hear hear! "Extremely honest", no other valuejudgements needed really, people will react differently depending if they are a sycophant or if they have half a heart. (yeah i introduced some subjective insight still :|)

[@CountArtha]

Buckley gets vaguer and vaguer through the interview.

[@iwillspyonyou]

RON PAUL 2012

[@reynoldsohoulihan]

Well, you have no case then.

[@eigenstates]

14:10 mind = blown

[@theamericano33333]

@capitalist4life reagan sped up the end of the soviet union and stopped the path of appeasement which was happening with carter

[@BillyThorton68]

Round 1(video1) Ron Paul wins. Round 2(Video2) Buckely wins.

[@capitalist4life]

I think Obama will be to the left as Reagan is to the right. They both have almost perfect rhetoric in the eyes of their supporters, but they both failed to bring any real change.

[@NotJoe101]

Hell, today's Republican party is waaay to the right of even Reagan.... Amnesty, Tax hikes, nuke disarmament ... Hell, Obama is to the Right of Reagan on immigration & tax policy. ( not rhetoric)

[@hieroraven]

Wow - some very uneducated responses here. Ron Paul is fighting for an agenda - and he is bending reason to justify the agenda. Buckley was a brilliant and rational man - one of the clearest thinkers of the 20th century. I frequently found myself disagreeing with him - but I have never been able to question his intelligence and only rarely his logic.

[@SuperDachshund]

No they're not. Don't be silly. It's exactly the opposite.

[@blaze991]

In response to challenges, Ron Paul.. in my opinion, often fails to address them directly. He goes on tangents about little factual things that have happened that don't get at the meat of the challenge.

[@tmac9938]

@4:10 - 4:12 rand paul

[@theamericano33333]

@CUnknown let me guess you like unions correct just a shot in the dark

[@MCulpa]

You should be careful about spitting on people who found themselves in the most terrifying situation in human history. You may have done the same in their position.

[@LucisFerre1]

This special guest is presenting false dichotomies.

[@Nobious2]

So, this is what Buckley sounds like? How many drugs is this guy on? Sounds like a stoned out Frasier.

[@Tyrant_13]

Buckley really isn't as intelligent as so many of his admirers say. I'm not trying to be mean, but he really isn't that deep or sharp.