Buckley was not criticized for his free-market views, nor was he censured for his traditional beliefs about the divinity of Christ. What irked the liberal establishment was his assertion of these views and beliefs as solid truths. One reviewer insinuated that the book was colored by Buckley’s “Roman Catholic point of view,” which is based on authority, unlike Yale’s Protestant heritage, which relies upon individual conscience. Another reviewer invoked the specter of totalitarianism: “The methods he proposes for his alma mater are precisely those employed in Italy, Germany, and Russia.” Still
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