Posted on 06/27/2012 5:17:15 AM PDT by Reaganite Republican
*** PING ***
One could improve the outcome of most economics courses simply be assigning 4 or 5 books by PJ O’Rourke
I own “Give War a Chance” by PJ O’Rourke.
I bought his book. It was excellent! National Lampoon too.
I like:
I was able to answer quickly and with confidence - “I don’t know.”
I have not read anything from PJ lately. Is he still writing for Rolling Stone ?
I loved Parliment of Whores.
I have always been proud he was a NH citizen.
He’s long gone from National Lampoon
As a Christian and peace-through-strength GOPer, I sure don’t agree with everything he says -same as, say, Pat Buchanon- but an ORIGINAL THINKER... the only kind of political author worth reading imho
I myself am reading ‘All The Trouble with the World’ for a 2nd time right now...
PJ is one of the best phrase-turners ever to pick up a pen. Thanks for this collection . . . we could probably fill a whole thread with his bon mots.
The most profound of these insights, IMO.
The solution routinely put forward for government being corrupted with business money is to implement tighter government regulation of business. This merely encourages (forces) businesses to become more involved with government, in self-defense if nothing else.
It's sort of like the black market in drugs (or anything else). The more effective you are at stopping the flow of the black market goods, the more you drive up the price and profit, which of course incentivizes more people to enter the trade.
Your "control" efforts are counter-productive by definition.
Also, when business success is more dependent on government contacts and influence than on economic efficiency, even those enterprises that thrive function less efficiently and therefore produce less wealth for society.
I think “All the Trouble...” was the last book of his I read.
Has he written anything since you can recommend ?
I’m less keen on the anti-war bent he’s on in recent years... ever since 2000-on
I liked ‘Driving Like Crazy’ tho-
"Freedom in not empowerment. Empowerment is what the Serbs have in Bosnia. Anybody can grab a gun and be empowered. It's not entitlement. An entitlement is what people on welfare get, and how free are they? It's not an endlessly expanding list of rights - the "right" to health care, the "right" to food and housing. That's not freedom, that's dependency. Those aren't rights, those are the rations of slavery - hay and a barn for human cattle."
-- P.J. O'Rourke
At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled
children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and
useless. Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats."
The most profound of these insights, IMO.
Mark Twain long ago had to say something about that:
"There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."
“I loved Parliment of Whores.”
Required reading in my household.
Great bumper sticker!
Minor adjustment for us Massachusetts natives.
“PJ is one of the best phrase-turners ever to pick up a pen. Thanks for this collection . . . we could probably fill a whole thread with his bon mots.”
Indeed... a true original thinker. I just found out an old high school friend I assumed was a lib has met PJ twice and has six of his books, all autographed- his wit has a wide appeal, our side could use more of that
His best ever, imho
He uses his family experiences SO well in illustrating his philosophical/political arguments
Conservatives need to be effective SALESMEN like Reagan and PJ... you need to explain it, since the other side is made to sound so appealing on the surface
And the humor is a most powerful tool... it’s just like on a date, if you get her to laugh you’re there.
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