Chambers

George Will’s column on Al Felzenberg and WFB has made waves.

George rightly praises Al’s book, A Man and His Presidents: The Political Odyssey of William F. Buckley, Jr. I hosted a discussion of it with Al at the New-York Historical Society; it is well worth a read.

George is also right to contrast WFB with the president, and say, look here upon this picture, and on this.

It was odd of him, however, to blame Trumpism on Whittaker Chambers. Chambers was neither a populist, nor a demagogic pseudo-populist. Poet, revolutionary, anti-revolutionary, Quaker convert, pragmatist, pessimist: His was not the profile of a typical populist, or a typical anything.

Most of all Chambers was a voice of history and sorrow, which Bill admired more than any other.