P.J. O'Rourke

Patrick Jake "P.J." O'Rourke (1947-2022) was an American writer, journalist, and political satirist. He was most well known for his books Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, and for advocating libertarian political philosophies.


Civilization is an enormous improvement on the lack thereof.

Earnestness is just stupidity sent to college.

I like to do my principal research in bars, where people are more likely to tell the truth or, at least, lie less convincingly than they do in briefings and books.

The mystery of government is not how it works, but how to make it stop.

The whole idea of our government is this: If enough people get together and act in concert, they can take something and not pay for it.

To grasp the true meaning of socialism, imagine a world where everything is designed by the post office, even the sleaze.

You can't get good Chinese takeout in China and Cuban cigars are rationed in Cuba. That's all you need to know about communism.

Your money does not cause my poverty. Refusal to believe this is at the bottom of most bad economic thinking.

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.