tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post2753998203981758462..comments2023-10-02T01:11:04.783-07:00Comments on Mahound's <br>Paradise: P.J. O'Rourke is Old and BoringOakes Spaldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078500142758654392noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-49105556440512606802016-05-26T05:29:15.647-07:002016-05-26T05:29:15.647-07:00In the sociological/medical literature,a person re...In the sociological/medical literature,a person reaching 75 years of age is considered "old old"! Therefore PJ, at age 68 is not middle-aged, but simply "old". An old fool. Sandpiperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07513538957439176850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-22707897858067905752016-05-25T12:49:03.869-07:002016-05-25T12:49:03.869-07:00Middle-aged O'Rourke wants to preserve his rep...<i>Middle-aged O'Rourke wants to preserve his reputation as a quasi-bad boy (or former quasi-bad boy) while not offending, well, the establishment, which in the end has been good to him and which he is now obviously a member of.</i><br /><br />This seems like a sound assessment of where he is now. A pity, but probably predictable. <br /><br />He seems to be a Boomer in whom the libertine has finally beaten out the libertarian - and right when <i>libertine</i> is riding unusually high, especially in cultural elite circles.Athelstanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07346012062816580296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-7800367032481040502016-05-25T12:45:40.849-07:002016-05-25T12:45:40.849-07:00Maybe because there is no eyebrow raising impact.
...<i>Maybe because there is no eyebrow raising impact.</i><br /><br />You might be on to something.Athelstanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07346012062816580296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-87571152051781672672016-05-25T12:00:26.376-07:002016-05-25T12:00:26.376-07:00Yeah. That's a good point.Yeah. That's a good point.Oakes Spaldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08078500142758654392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-33952037344876975402016-05-25T11:57:06.335-07:002016-05-25T11:57:06.335-07:00Bear's favorite was "Man first began to d...Bear's favorite was "Man first began to develop in Africa. He has not done so since." That bold whiplash and broad brush truth about the continent's seeming inability to maintain stable institutions and infrastructure is the kind of pithy, funny and memorable zinger the Bear can only dream about.The Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01710209668580303074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-41555385593613672402016-05-25T11:53:07.601-07:002016-05-25T11:53:07.601-07:00"Which does make me wonder why P.J. isn't..."Which does make me wonder why P.J. isn't (voting Libertarian)".<br /><br />Maybe because there is no eyebrow raising impact.Michael Dowdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16650782589323136700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-84778939139366636232016-05-25T11:48:30.771-07:002016-05-25T11:48:30.771-07:00Well, I used to be a card carrying Libertarian and...Well, I used to be a card carrying Libertarian and I still am a small "l" libertarian as far Catholic tradition will allow. I get what you're saying but I see it a bit differently. <br /><br />There's nothing particularly libertarian about, say, calling resistance to Islam "bigoted." Indeed, I would say that if you really care about liberty, then that's downright contradictory.<br /><br />Middle-aged O'Rourke wants to preserve his reputation as a quasi-bad boy (or former quasi-bad boy) while not offending, well, the establishment, which in the end has been good to him and which he is now obviously a member of.<br /><br />So, while he did pen plenty of offensive things about, say, race and sex and other hot button issues back in the day, he wants you to know that of course he was just kidding around. You know, he was acting in the role of a "satirist." He really wants you to understand that while he is a conservative, he's not one of THOSE conservatives--Coulter, Trump, etc.Oakes Spaldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08078500142758654392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-91544275671749991192016-05-25T09:25:45.524-07:002016-05-25T09:25:45.524-07:00P.J. was a funny guy back in the day - particularl...P.J. was a funny guy back in the day - particularly recommended are his Parliament of Whores, Give War a Chance, and a Bachelor Home Companion.<br /><br />His schtick has aged somewhat; he's a little too identifiably Boomer. His recent stuff doesn't have quite the same sheen.<br /><br />This doesn't surprise me, however, because P.J. has never been a conservative, and he's always been open about that. He's a libertarian, full on, no chaser. And Trump really represents the antithesis of libertarianism in so many ways - a real rejection of any libertarian tendencies embodied in the existing conservative establishment. The only commonality with P.J. might be Trump's general indifference to religion - but it's not enough. <br /><br />This is not to say you're going to see a stampede of REASON magazine editors to Hillary - I expect they'll all be voting for Gary Johnson. Which does make me wonder why P.J. isn't. Athelstanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07346012062816580296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-25639872467284244722016-05-25T02:15:25.410-07:002016-05-25T02:15:25.410-07:00If you get your birth certificate stamped in Hawai...If you get your birth certificate stamped in Hawaii, it's okay.Oakes Spaldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08078500142758654392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-68846137676806251822016-05-25T01:50:24.578-07:002016-05-25T01:50:24.578-07:00Perhaps endorsing Hillary is the only way for P.J....Perhaps endorsing Hillary is the only way for P.J. to attraction attention and become relevant. Pathetic.Michael Dowdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16650782589323136700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1373152433565591514.post-13411355795610694692016-05-24T21:26:35.352-07:002016-05-24T21:26:35.352-07:00P.J. O'Rourke... the Bear seems to have fond m...P.J. O'Rourke... the Bear seems to have fond memories from the '80s. The Bear supposes it was a lot easier to be on the right side back then. No denying he was a wordsmith in his day. Wasn't he in American Spectator? But, Hillary? Oh dear. It used to be just progressives calculated their every move to buff their "all the right people" cred. Now the habit has infected Republicans. We saw that coming with Sarah Palin, who nearly dragged the demented McCain into the White House. Snobs. The Bear ought to run for President. He's sure the little problem about being born in Germany could be finessed. He's a dab hand at the Photoshop.The Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01710209668580303074noreply@blogger.com