1988 Firing Line: Ron Paul and William F. Buckley - Consistency!

Now that's what I'm talking about, that's what Freedom Watch needs to be. It was when it first started and I watched every episode. Now... 2 minute rapid fire drive by's with minimal content or actual discusssion. It's the difference between diving into a deep cool lake and being spritzed in the face with luke warm water.

I've been wondering why it's been shortened so much and crammed full with guests and pieces. I think I figured out Fox's agenda and I think the judge is unfortunately just going along with it because he has his foot in the door and doesn't want to blow his opportunity to spread the message however he can. Unfortunately it may backfire:

1. Neocon propaganda works well in short soundbites, libertarian ideas need more time to explain. Despite how good the judge is, if you make him take on too many guests and shorten the amount of time they have to discuss things it lends the advantage to neocon rhetoric when it is on the show. In the minds of the average fox viewer the neocons soundbites make sense and the judge's principled positions sound foolish, though if he had time to explain further and point out the fallacies and illogical position of his opponent, the viewer would definitely, even if begrudgingly, side with the judge.
This way Fox sucks us liberty minded folk back in without poisoning too much the minds of their carefully hypnotized masses.

2.Keep the viewers dumb. One could learn quite a lot from that Buckley/Paul debate and come to reasonable conclusions as well as find excellent starting points for further research. By keeping the discussion short and disjointed, not much of any of that occurs on tv today, and it's not just Freedom Watch, pretty much all "news" programs do the same. It's quite sad.

Just like our education system, it is part of the deliberate dumbing down of America. The less educated make less money, consume less resources, rely more on big government, ask fewer questions and make wonderfully obedient subjects/slaves.

We need a return to the Firing line format where ideas can be discussed in depth for the enlightenment of all.

You can't find programs like this on TV anymore, where the participants use the time they need to delve deeply into issues or expand on arguments without rudely interrupting each other. This is the format I would prefer to see something like "Freedom Watch" adopt.

What a contrast: Ron Paul clearly articulating his positions, and Buckley, stuttering and stumbling; trying to defend the Welfare State, foreign interventionism, and spying on the American people. How did anyone ever consider Buckley a Conservative?

Buckley spends way too much time debating Paul on the CIA. He almost takes Paul's political position against the CIA as a personal affront; just sayin' its weird.

Thanks

Dr. Paul schooled both of them.

In '88 some of his arguments were still vague to me.
Now I know his answers.

Been a long strange trip.

that was so great to watch, just wonderful. I wish he was that young again, would it be wrong to clone him?

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