Uncommon Knowledge classic: The Sixties with Hitchens and William F. Buckley 

I wish I didn't have to go back quite so many years for this level of discussion.

It's a real head scratcher how Hitchens could accurately describe the motivations of the Vietnam war, etc, but come out in support of overthrowing Saddam Hussein.

Watching this shows how much dumber and impatient we've now become as a society.

An incredible display of right vs left. Two great minds. Both civilly making their points. We may never see a disciplined display like this again.

OMG, I watched these one on one debates with my Father. I was so young. Dad was a conservative but he said Hitchens was the smartest guy on the left & he was right. Still watching Dad.

Unfortunately, these kind of civilized discussions of controversial subjects is almost impossible in America now. Too many people think they already know the answers and don't want to listen.

Superb conversation. Calm, rational, articulate.

Thank you Hoover Institution for these gems. How lucky i am, a guy from Israel who has a chance to look at such quality content 20 years later now that i'm old enough. Thank you for sharing it.

Refreshing to watch two great minds, debate, agree & disagree. Respectfully.

This is probably the best example of the dialectic there could ever be. Can you imagine an anti-war socialist having reasoned debate with a much older social and fiscal conservative in 2016?

Measured discussion, the weapon of a more noble age.

The wonderful thing about intelligent discourse, of which this is a good example, shouldn't only be about "With whom do I agree / disagree?" but appreciating how the parts articulate their positions regardless. ... I wish there was more of this. We, nowadays, tend to form black or white knee-jerk opinions basing the same on what we've heard and not necessarily what we know (or believe we know). Thanks for posting. This should be shown in schools.

Such a gentlemanly discussion. Fantastic.

What an absolute beautiful discussion. Great host, great topics, great speakers. Thank you Hoover

Wow, Peter Robison really shows his cards in this one! I do like his blue shirt and yellow tie at the beginning.

What a video; thank you for posting. Two of the greatest political minds of my lifetime

NO ONE is/was/willbe as adept as the Hitch was to make lascivious jokes, especially when someone else starts it. I'm really tired of seeing 5 different mostly banal people hunched over Wolf Blitzer or John King, rehashing the same insipidly frustrating shit ad infinitum. Just let the actually knowledgeable and insightful answer (arguably slanted, I mean it is the Hoover Institution) questions from a host without an unplugged vacuum for a head. Thanks for posting!

That was amazing on so many levels. We seem incapable of having conversations like this today as the shouters and haters dominate the media. Thank you. By the way, who was that youngster who moderated the discussion??? Peter was also brilliant. Obviously, Hitchens and Buckley are intellectual giants. Listening to them was profoundly satisfying as each made his case calmly and elegantly. I am of the generation but slightly younger than the student leaders of the antiwar movement. I chose a different path and started at the US Naval Academy in 1969 when the war was in full swing but already winding down. I observed Nixon's and Kissinger's efforts to bring "peace with honor" in real time culminating in the unrestricted American bombing campaign known as the 1972 Christmas Bombings. The US unleashed hell on the North. Without doubt, in my view, the unrestricted warfare shocked the North Vietnamese nation top to bottom and brought the war to a negotiated settlement within days on January 27, 1973 in Paris. Up until then, the North Vietnamese were content to "negotiate" but resolve nothing. Negotiations went on fruitlessly for years. My view is that the North was employing a strategy of "attrition" against the Americans built on the theory that the Americans would in time lose heart and interest in the project and withdraw, thereby allowing the North to eventually achieve its objectives of defeating the South and unifying their country under a communist regime. This plan was working but was blown up by the "shock and awe" of the Christmas Bombings. As related in the book "When Hell was in Session" by Medal of Honor recipient and senior POW James Stockdale, the guards in the Hanoi Hilton transformed from arrogant torturers to best friends within days of realizing that continued unrestricted bombing would destroy the North and they would lose the war. As a result, the North folded and agreed to the same agreement Kissinger had been offering without progress for years. From a personal perspective, I watched in real time as the war "ended" at the negotiation table Paris. I had a personal interest in the facts on the ground because I was in my 4th year at Navy scheduled to graduate in June 1973 and be commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy. In short, I changed my career plans to become an A6 Intruder bombardier navigator with a direct role in the Vietnam War instead to become a cold warrior as a navigator/tactical coordinator in the P3-C Orion. I'm glad I did and feel pride in my small part of winning the Cold War without a shot. As to the civil rights movement, I have always been a believer in MLK's vision of a color blind society as the way forward. That vision is under vicious assault as I write this, with many powerful voices rejecting color blindness in favor of the clearly racist concepts of identity politics and intersectionality. I consider both of these concepts cultural and societal poison. In addition, I believe LBJ's great society programs have done more harm than good. In Amity Shlaes' brilliant retrospective "Great Society: A New History" she lays out a persuasive case that the great society has been a failure on every level despite honorable intentions. Robert Woodson has argued persuasively that the substantial progress blacks were making prior to 1965, when the great society was enacted into federal law, were stalled and reversed by LBJ's legislation. As a specific example, because of great society programs we now have a multigenerational black under class where out of wedlock births are approaching 100% leading to black enclaves where crime and violence, especially black on black murder is out of control, schools are failing massively and many other social pathologies abound. Even card carrying liberals like Bill Clinton acknowledge this failure in his famous volt face to "end welfare as we know it." This project has never been fully realized and the current administration seems bent on going back to old failed welfare policies where young mothers, especially in the black underclass effectively "marry the government." This has led to the multigenerational pathologies mentioned above. Thank you again. This video is amazing. A proud American

Two brilliant men. If only we had them today, our world might not be so confused.

I admire Buckley for being able to admit he was wrong. You can tell that his opposition to the Civil Rights Act was something that he was ashamed of.

As an atheist conservative, I wish they had also discussed atheism vs religion

As an anti-Vietnam war protester in the Sixties, I was heavily influenced by our Oregon U.S.Senator Wayne Morse, a man with a huge intellect, who was one of only two senator in the US Senate, who from the the beginning of our involvement and especially after the Gulf of Tonkin "false flag" incident, spoke out continually against the war. We didn't believe the "Domino Theory" that attempted to persuade us that if Vietnam fell to the communists all of southeast Asia would fall as well. We also believed that we would get bogged down and not be successful in winning a land war fought in the jungles of Vietnam, specially since the South Vietnam army lacked the will to fight for their country.As it turned out, we were correct. Sadly, Senator Morse was reviled as anti-american for his commitment to the withdrawal of our military and was never honored for his unwavering leadership in bringing the war to an end. Having lunch with him once was an unforgettable experience.

Two great minds that are polar opposites. They were not appreciated until they were gone. Tis a pity.

Still waiting one two smart minds to fill these guys boots. I suspect we will be waiting a long time.

There is a wonderful episode of Uncommon Knowledge featuring Christopher Hitchens and Timothy Garton Ash. I think it's called "Literature and Politics" or something like that. I would love to see it posted to RU-vid.

Interesting conversation to have in what seems to be a garage full of random crap.

Wonderful discussion between two very intelligent men. William Buckley will always be the man who told Chomsky that he would, I'm paraphrasing here, "...Punch you in the goddamn face." Both are interesting polemic figures. Thanks for the post.

This is gold.

Both these men are no longer alive :(. How upsetting.

Liberals and Conservatives trust the government too much. Just in different ways.

Hitchens seemed much more happier back then..even conciliatory I would say than in his later years...they say time mellows a person but Hitchens was the exception to that rule.

Great debate from two of my favorite intellectuals.

to me it always seems like buckley sounds way more sophisticated than what he actually says

I remember watching William F. Buckley, Jr. on television. I still do when I can. Always interesting and definitely a great writer. Peter Robinson did a splendid job interviewing two very difficult people to interview.

Big regret of mine was not going to a convention back in DC that Hitchens attended... he passed that same here :/:/ Definitely one of the best raconteurs of our time

Only 20 minutes? Please sir, can I have some more.

Two brilliant men allowed to flesh out their opinions. What ever happened to that??

Good discussion.

when buckly begins to speak,the look on hitchens is like...uh oh

Brilliant questions

How can you tell when a Bonesman is lying to you? You can't.

The irony of the anti-war movement being violent

I don't care for this interview cut the way it is. I'll have to look for the interview in its entirety.

Loving the use of props in the opening.

Watch Firing line with Buckley and Timothy Leary .

Peter Robertson has aged fantastically

I am seriously pissed that they cut Hitchens off at 7:20!

The host has aged really well.

"You're not going to let him get away with calling us an Empire are you?" Of course America is an empire. Just because America isnt official named an empire, doesnt mean it displays every sign of imperialist politics, colonial politics. Any nation, which controls other nations by threat of violence or financial destruction is an empire.

William Buckley was also one of the most subtely stylish men. Usually a white shirt, with a classic tie and nuetral suit. From the mid 60's to the late 90's, you never look at his clothing and think it looks dated. That's timeless and classy style. Unlike the goon at the start who looks every inch 1998.

Wow, I can actually comment on Hoover institution lol

The dude's face at 5:56...priceless.

"United States at peace abroad and at home", well not quite.

His intro is hilarious

Who's here in 2019?

he said hullabaloo

I watched this in 2020 and just thought 'we are doomed'. Where is the philosopher of this age? And more importantly even, who is willing to debate them on open terms?

I’m not sure if Buckley’s argument for disagreeing with the idea that the Civil Rights Movement was a noble moment in American history is very persuasive or even tenable. If America’s original sin was the blatant and gross incompatibility between slavery and the Bill of Rights, the civil rights movement seems like a thematic indication of resolve. Whether or not the legislation was totally harmonious with the constitutional process shouldn’t be relevant given the unharmonious nature of the issue.

Good stuff

God rest your soul Christopher Hitchens - lol. Wish you were still with us.

A penny for their thoughts today.

What a thoroughly impressive debate. I am a fan of Hitch but I do think he was a little outclassed by WFB this time - a man I'm not aware of but understand has passed...it's a shame they both have for obvious reasons.

What a treat.

What was the French term that Christopher used to refer to himself? Swason retire?

16:52 Damn. That is a scrutinizing look, lol.

14:57 Goldwater thought "enemy couldn't sustain casualties" N. Vietnamese General Giap has said in interviews that the Tet Offensive resulted in a severe loss for his side, contrary to its portrayal in the Western media. Our side didn't follow it up for various reasons. So Goldwater's earlier optimism was probably ultimately justified.

Hitchens is the greatest polemicist of all time

I miss Mr. Buckley, I credit him as a significant factor in my discovery of conservatism.

18:22 lol

Right. Why doesn't someone write "Das Sociale" (or the equivalent in respectable literate German)?

What did he pre-judge? This whole conversation is about the past.

I don't understand how you have come to this conclusion. I think the differences the "two sides" had were very deep and real. For starters one side felt America was an exceptional nation that needed to mold the world in it's image. The other felt our forays into other nations resulting in war was akin to genocide. This is not a minor difference of opinion.

Both excellent men missed now.

Buckley leaves out (or was ignorant of) the fact that Operation Vulture - the proposed American bombing campaign in support of the French at Dien Bien Phu - included B29s armed not only with conventional bombs, but nuclear weapons. Nearly every hawk asked to advise on the matter signaled for the green light, but luckily Eisenhower backed down. The idea that the only nation to have used nuclear arms on other humans - and who again and again agitated to so long as they held the monopoly on that power (MacArthur having already proposed nuclear strikes during the Korean War) - is the just and anti-imperialist actor here is absurd.

What's the name of the host?

When Buckley had people on his show, he had the good sense to let them talk and not interrupt them or get in their space. This guy doing the interview, he keeps interrupting Hitchens and tapping his arm to get his attention. It's annoying. Back in the day, we had Buckley as the voice of the Conservatives, nowadays it's Sean Hannity.

They should clone these two brains.

Great. Shame about the editing. How far we've come from the dark days of television time slots.

Buckley is so annoyed with the interviewer. :XD

Buckley’s accent- I need to know.

I love the props at the beginning.

Buckley is great as always but with age he has lost a bit of the energy and charisma he had in the 70s

It's quite unintentional but the logo "Hoover" in the side of the screen made me chuckle. FBI Director Hoover was a big part of the '60s - and not in a good way. The "Hoover" here was, of course, the sponsoring institution.

Maybe I should buy some old tab collars. . . ?

Please be quiet, Peter. You always look like you are ready to interrupt at any moment, and you've been doing it for decades now.

Just imagine if the world had not been colonized. If we think the continent of Africa cannot get itself together in abject poverty and corruption, imagine the nation’s and regions of the world of how they would not have been modernized by The West.

that tie is ridiculous though

@LYinKansas it actually was true during ho chi minh's time, since as a dedicated stalinist, like mao, ho refused to condemn stalin when khruschev did and therefor moved into the chinese camp. it was only after ho died that north vietnam moved back into the soviet camp

Was Hitchens right about Princess Diana and Mother Theresa?

WFB is my hero

Not Gore - Chomsky, I think.

audio quality is poor

Was 1998 a hundred a fifty years ago?!?!??

buckley still sharp here seems very tired...and time as proven him incorrect...though i would argue the conservative party he represented no longer exists. hitchens as usual is very brave and contrasts himself by his praise for martin luther king and his ability to hold american leaders accountable...labeling their actions crimes. there is something unending about the Vietnam war era and it feels like opportunities were missed..though it could be we just are suffering from what was achieved since we are more a divided country than ever..and the powers that be seem to want that. i cant help wondering if it always comes back to one thing...the idea constantly reinforced that war and only war....is what makes the country great.

You can see Hitchens trying not to laugh when Buckley invokes Barry Goldwater. They both lived through the 60's but one of them was still living in it.

I have always loved Christopher, but his comments disbelieving that in the 60's and even up to the time of the interview in the 90's, the story that the Soviets and the Chinese aims were expansionist (around 8:00), indicate that he hadn't learnt that much about communism since he was a 19 year old in Cuba. Very disappointing...... maybe he recovered later in the interview, but I was turned off.

That intro reminded me of the bad mid-eighties educational movies that were already 10 years old when they showed them to us. Beyond cheesy.

Peter Robbins is young and skinny in this video.

miss Hitchins

the length of his tie is disturbing.