'Best of Enemies' revolved around two highly intelligent but completely opposite people in ideologies William F. Buckley Jr., a conservative, and Gore Vidal, a liberal, while they fought out of their minds during the 1968 Republican and Democratic Conventions. They genuinely despised each other, as evidenced by their debates, until both engaged in ad hominem when Vidal called Buckley a "crypto-Nazi" while Buckley returned fire and called Vidal "queer"" and threatened to kick him in the face. This is a great example of the fact that no matter how intellectual a person is, he still has triggers as this encounter led to the permanent clash between Buckley and Vidal. Say no to the plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the documentary, the phrase "law and order" was mentioned many times, especially by Buckley and Nixon. They used this phrase to enforce peace in America, but in reality it was just a euphemism for classifying people and classifying them based on their socioeconomic status, religion, and most importantly, race. Although these debates occurred in 1968, history repeats itself as this apparent solution is not only returning to the United States but also to the Philippines, amplified by the current Duterte administration which is undoubtedly anti-poor. The current administration claims that its policies are aimed at improving the general well-being of the Filipino people, but because the economy is at its lowest levels in recent years, the inflation rate is at its highest levels, the lumad are being dispersed from their lands, most drug lords are acquitted in this "drug war", and people like Mocha Uson are paid to be stupid. Clearly, this "law and order" is NOT working. It is important to note that the Buckley–Vidal debates occurred because ABC, being the least watched channel at the time, needed to get ahead of NBC and CBS; and indeed they did. The pinnacle of those debates was when they insulted each other (crypto-Nazi, queer). It was the most popular because it showed that even though they were respected and civilized gentlemen, they had this violent side, evidenced by their trembling eyes and lips as they said these offensive words to each other. The vulgarities of these political pundits amused people and so ABC's ratings were on the rise. This can be a parallel to Philippine politics as to why Duterte has so many loyal followers despite his constant ad hominem, his misogynistic tendencies, open threats to the people, and his foul mouth. It is because people find him funny and different from all other presidents and we all know that Filipinos love to be entertained by what they see on television. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The clash between Buckley and Vidal began in the 1950s, reached its peak in the 1960s, and lasted their entire lives. Although they had similarities in that they had posh upbringings, they displayed and embodied the best of the political theory they believed in, conservatism and liberalism. Their debates were brutal and this is something that is missing from today's politics; there are simply no more heated and articulate representatives as people choose who is funnier to them (e.g. Trump, Duterte). Truly, Buckley and Vidal are the best of enemies and something we need in this age, a clash of true intellectuals that stimulates people's minds and ideals.