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Joseph Sobran on Why They Hate Us. Joseph Sobran (1946–2010) was an American paleoconservative journalist and syndicated columnist known for his sharp wit and controversial views, which led to his departure from the magazine National Review. Early career and association with William F. Buckley Jr. Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Sobran attended Eastern Michigan University. He caught the attention of William F. Buckley Jr. in 1972 after writing a letter in defense of Buckley's campus visit. Buckley recruited him to work at National Review, where he spent 21 years. Sobran became a prominent figure in the intellectual conservative movement of the 1980s, writing witty and thoughtful essays on moral and social issues. Departure from National Review and later career During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sobran's views became more controversial, particularly his criticism of U.S. foreign policy and what he saw as the influence of a "Jewish lobby". These views caused a rift with Buckley, who ultimately removed him as a senior editor of National Review in 1993. Following his departure, Sobran's politics shifted further right, and he embraced U.S. isolationism. He later described himself as a libertarian and an anarcho-capitalist. He published his own newsletter, Sobran's: The Real News of the Month, from 1994 to 2007. He also wrote columns for other publications, including the Roman Catholic weekly The Wanderer, Chronicles magazine, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Major works and themes Sobran's work covered a wide range of topics, including social and moral questions, the U.S. Constitution, Christianity, and Shakespeare. Shakespeare authorship: He wrote a book titled Alias Shakespeare: Solving the Greatest Literary Mystery of All Time (1997), in which he argued that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of Shakespeare's works. The Clinton Legacy: He was also the author of Hustler: The Clinton Legacy (2000), a collection of his columns critiquing the Clinton presidency. Death Sobran died on September 30, 2010, at the age of 64 from kidney failure caused by diabetes.