P.J. O’Rourke: The Problem is Politics
By Norman Leahy | Sunday, May 4th, 2008 | Catch-AllFrom P.J. O’Rourke in the most recent Cato’s Letter:
After all my time covering politics, I know a lot of politicians. They’re intelligent. They’re diligent. They’re talented. I like them. I count them as friends. But when these friends of mine take their intelligence, their diligence, and their talent and they put these into the service of politics, ladies and gentlemen, when they do that, they turn into leeches upon the commonwealth.
They are dogs chasing the cat of freedom. They are cats tormenting the mouse of responsibility. They are mice gnawing on the insulated wiring of individualism. They are going to hell in a hand basket, and they stole that basket from you. They are the ditch carp in the great river of democracy. And this is what one of their friends says.
There’s loads more…go read it all. (Cross-posted at Tertium Quids)
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Norm Leahy has written about Virginia and national politics online since 2002, beginning with One Man's Trash (OMT), and continuing through Bacon's Rebellion (both the blog and the e-zine), Sic Semper Tyrannis, NBC12's Decision Virginia, Richmond.com and Tertium Quids. He is the chief blogger at "The Score" and a producer of "The Score" radio show as well as being a Washington Examiner contributor.
We're 75% there! Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed! Just $2000 to go!
Comments
5 Responses to "P.J. O’Rourke: The Problem is Politics"
I assume that he is referring to McCain as well in his tirade…
Tirade? Ah, the humorlessness abounds sometimes.
You’ll have to read the article for yourself. But failing that, he does have some choice words for the Senator.
Thanks, I didn’t feel like reading the whole piece, so I skimmed it.
I’ve read more than a few of PJ’s books, and frankly enjoy him a great deal. That said, the first few paragraphs of this piece wore me down. They read more like a tirade than his usual insightful humor.
I read the whole piece from the link. OK, I’ll accept that you had to have a sense of humor or something while you read it. Even though I am so often outrageously serious, I did have to (begrudgingly) chuckle a few times.
But what struck me was that it pointed out only problems and never presented a solution. Anyone can point out the problems. One of the problems is getting someone to lead us who we agree sees the problems and actually has the solutions.
P.J. is great. But nothing can beat sitting between him and Kate O’Beirne at a table having drinks at the Bull & Bear in NYC while talking politics. (I think that was the same night I blew off Arianna Huffington back when she was still on the right.)
Leave your response