Is a 50-year conservative icon now losing it?

By way of explanation why I'm going to pick on an article about 7 weeks old, I only just discovered it as I was catching up on my Malkin. Anyway, I came upon a reference to this priceless WFB Jr gem: "Uprooting [illegal immigrants to deport them] would prove as wrenching as the uprooting of the blacks from Africa 300 years ago." This is what happens when conservatives grow fond (or covetous) of the respect of left-wing academic elites. As wrenching as the uprooting of blacks from Africa? I doubt it would be even 10% as wrenching. 15% tops. I'm a fanatical labour pool supply-sider and I think that kind of rhetoric is ridiculous.

Even more wrong, more insidious - and ignored by Malkin and perhaps all other post-publication fact-checkers (until me) - was the following, from the same article: "There are two directions to go in class-mobile America. The first is stasis -- what greeted post-Civil War blacks for a hundred years." Apparently Buckley forgets that black Americans were trending strongly upward in all economic measures from the end of the Civil War until the "reforms" of the 1960's (except during the Great Depression) - not because of the legislation of the 60's. In fact, the 60's saw the slowest growth of standard of living in black American households since the GD, and the War on Poverty (which Buckley used to oppose) seemed to halt an impressive advance in the economic status of blacks. I think Buckley should read more of the writings of Drs. Thomas Sowell and Walter E. Williams for more information on how the free market does more to help the objects of racial discrimination than any government program. I also think that Buckley is drifting left in his old age.

SRS

P.S. I recently enjoyed a classic Dick Cavett Show episode (c. 1972) in which Dick reads a letter to the effect of: "I was disappointed that you would let William F. Buckley, Jr on your show: he is a known snake!" I got a belly-laugh from that.