Gene Siskel, RIP

For Gene Siskel, criticism was a noble calling; he wanted people to think about film and didn't care if he had to step on toes in the process. Tributes to Siskel in the wake of his death on February 27 focus on his love of good movies, his loathing for bad ones, his practice of diving headfirst into every endeavor, his commitment to his family and faith, and his unceasing effort to maintain his work ethic even after undergoing brain surgery and enduring consequent deteriorating health. Libertarians may want to remember him for his frequent, albeit inconsistent, stands in favor of individual liberty — he was a harsh opponent of racism, he favored drug legalization, and movies like Waco: The Rules of Engagement got his thumb up. All this is worth remembering. But one of the most important lessons of his career may be that he helped demonstrate the inseparable nature of competition and cooperation.

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were vicious competitors to the end, fighting over opinions, petty personal differences, and even TV screen time (even the Siskel tribute episode of Siskel and Ebert alotted about as much screen time for Ebert as it did for Siskel). But they also shared an enduring friendship and camaraderie, made consistently stronger by respect for each others' refusals to back down from a worthy fight. Siskel's career is a reminder that consensual competition brings out the best in people, not the worst, and that we're more likely to cooperate with people who have this competitive integrity, and seek them out as friends. —Eric D. Dixon

(Printed in Liberty, May 1999 issue.)