William F. Buckley Quotes

The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I’d rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said. – William F. Buckley Jr.

The Beatles are not merely awful. They are so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I would rather be governed by the first 2000 people in the Manhattan phone book than by the entire faculty of Harvard. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Self-expression without talent is simply exhibitionism. – William F. Buckley Jr.

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.

I get satisfaction of three kinds. One is creating something, one is being paid for it, and one is the feeling that I haven’t just been sitting on my ass all afternoon. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive. – William F. Buckley Jr.

History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I would like to electrocute everyone who uses the word ‘fair’ in connection with income tax policies. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I’m for Democracy, with a big ‘D’, and let the chips fall where they may. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onward. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Although I am a convinced pacifist, I accept the necessity of war. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Look, I’m going to find out where these people are. I’ve got a submarine. Good night. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Idealism is a fine thing in politics but certain events shatter ideals. – William F. Buckley Jr.

If teachers are teaching, why aren’t students learning? – William F. Buckley Jr.

One can’t doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Life can’t be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and listen to them for ten years. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I once asked a Watergate Committee staff member why a senator had turned chicken on Senator Buckley. ‘Those innocent eyes,’ he said. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Conservatives define themselves in terms of what they oppose. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Back when we were on speaking terms, I once asked my glaucomic official predecessor how it happened that he signed a bill reducing the estate tax, which at the time of signing it he publicly declared himself opposed to. He answered: ‘WFB, there comes a time in every man’s life when he’s got to plotz or get off the potz.’ – William F. Buckley Jr.

It is misleading to represent the conservative/liberal division in this country as being between Republicans and Democrats. – William F. Buckley Jr.

How delicious to be immoral. – William F. Buckley Jr.

All great movements, it is written, go through three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive. – William F. Buckley Jr.

If you think it’s going to rain, it will. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I believe it will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Not even a charge of gnomic things become most crass when lodged against another. – William F. Buckley Jr.

We have a President who stole the presidency through family ties, arrogance and intimidation. – William F. Buckley Jr.

When conservatives get together, there is always talk about individuals and individualism, but when it comes to economic theory, the call goes up for statist, and centralist measures. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Americans have a penchant for sizing people up in thirty seconds, and if you don’t know how to look androgynous you can lose a lot of points. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I once sat next to Bill Clinton at Mother Teresa’s funeral, and you could see his mind wandering. Eventually, he leaned over and whispered to me, ‘Do you think she’s got a line on these trips?’ – William F. Buckley Jr.

If you walk uphill, whatever way you walk you will eventually get to the top. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I’m from Paris, Texas, not at all like Paris, France. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Truth is a demure lady, much too ladylike to knock you on your head and drag you to her cave. She is there, but people must want her, and seek her out. – William F. Buckley Jr.

The amount of money and of legal energy being given to prosecute hundreds of thousands of Americans who are caught with a few ounces of marijuana makes no sense. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I get satisfaction of three kinds. One is creating something, one is being paid for it and one is the feeling that I haven’t just been sitting on my ass all afternoon. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Though liberals do a great deal of talking about hearing other points of view, it sometimes shocks them to learn that there are other points of view. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it’s important. – William F. Buckley Jr.

I’m very wary of large groups of people getting together and trying to believe the same thing. It never seems to end well. – William F. Buckley Jr.

American universities are organized on the principle of the nuclear rather than the extended family. Graduate students are grimly trained to be technicians rather than connoisseurs. The old German style of universal scholarship has gone. – William F. Buckley Jr.

Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. – William F. Buckley Jr.