"Who in America is Truly Happy?" is an essay on William F. Buckley published as "The Happy Conservative" in the January/February 1979 edition of Politics Today and reprinted in Palm Sunday in 1981. It is nominally a review of Buckley's collection A Hymnal.
Summary[]
William F. Buckley at the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan
When asked by his children years ago who was truly happy in America, Vonnegut had no answer but now realizes William F. Buckley would be a good candidate. A fast, amusing, and superb writer, multilingual, a sailor, skier, musician, pilot, and family man, he appears to have "won the decathlon of human existence." He is physically attractive, but like Stan Laurel is able to always appear as if "something screaming funny was going on." Although clearly influenced by H.L. Mencken, Buckley's body, mind, and high social position would have made him a success with many of the same ideas he holds now anyway, without Mencken's influence.
As someone born rich and brilliant with family connections, it's natural that Buckley would espouse conservative ideals as he does, unlike those who came to their conservatism through rage and pain. His whole life has seemed to him an example of proving his worldview correct. But often his defense of conservatism seems less about passionate advocacy and more about showing off his ability as a fine debater. Unlike conservative icon Barry Goldwater, the "intelligent and genial" Buckley provides a charming face to the message that everyone else for their own good had better learn how to be less charitable to those less fortunate.[1]
Quotes[]
"'Who in America is truly happy?' my offspring used to ask me in one way or another as they entered adolescence, which is children's menopause."
- ↑ "Who in American is Truly Happy?", Palm Sunday, pp. 118-121.