There was a debate at Cambridge Union in 1965, between James Baldwin and William F Buckley, Jr. The proposal under debate was 'The American Dream is at the Expense of the American Negro'.

Who was James Baldwin? A serious novelist. Author of Giovanni's Room, Notes of a Native Son, and Another Country. International outlook, the sort of writer we hope the US will always produce. Witty, a social critic, and a proponent of civil rights, gay rights, and just plain human rights. And a very eloquent speaker.

Who was William F Buckley? Founding editor of the National Review. A rich New York-born Catholic who made a fetish of using his elitism and educational opportunities to champion political conservatism. Tolerated for a long time, in an eye-rolling sort of way. We kind of enjoyed watching him, back in the 1960s, being bested in political arguments by the likes of Gore Vidal. He was like one of those embarrassing relatives everybody has, the sort you dread at family parties because you don't know what gaffe he'll commit next.

Here, according to Elektra, 'Baldwin wipes the floor with Buckley'. You decide – the Cambridge Union Debating Society voted 540-160 in favour of Baldwin. But Baldwin gives you an excellent summary of what life was like for African Americans during the Civil Rights battle. As he says, 'you suddenly realise that the flag to which you pledge allegiance, hasn't pledged allegiance to you.' Beautifully spoken.

Buckley comes across as what he is: a snob. Throwing around words like 'Procrustean'. Blaming the 'negroes' for not doing enough to lift themselves out of oppression and poverty. That crack about the problem in Mississippi being not that too few black people were voting, but that too many of the white people were voting, got a laugh in Massachusetts. As half of my relatives come from Mississippi, you can imagine how I feel about that wisecrack.

What's behind Buckley's remarks, besides stereotyping and regional prejudice? Buckley's fear that civil rights leaders, such as Bayard Ruskin, whom he quotes, would destabilise the US 'way of life' by introducing socialist ideas. Bah.

This serious topic was brought to you courtesy of Elektra, who found it. I promise not to let her make this month's project get too deep – I will go back to being completely frivolous, or at least more exciting, tomorrow.