HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

P.J. O'Rourke: 'This Is the End of the World for Classical Liberalism.'

Views:1020
@ReasonVids

The 72-year-old political commentator says Biden's platform is "full of unicorns and flying ponies" but is better than "having the inmates run the asylum."

----
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?subconfirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
-----

"This is the end of the world for classical liberalism," writes P.J. O'Rourke in his new collection of essays, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land. The 72-year-old political commentator, who cut his teeth writing for National Lampoon and is the author of Parliament of Whores and other bestsellers, is pessimistic about the future of American politics.

"I'm appalled by the choice that we've been delivered," says O'Rourke, referencing the 2020 presidential election. "I am worried."

"I have always belonged to the pessimistic wing of the libertarian attitude," explains O'Rourke. "There are many libertarians who believe that people are ultimately rational. I am not among them. This is probably because I spent 20 years as a foreign correspondent, largely covering wars, insurrections, social upheavals, and disturbances of all sorts. … We have a rational side, thank God. And I hope we are appealing to that rational side. But it isn't the only side in our multifaceted—and sometimes pretty ugly—little personalities."

A Biden presidency would be bad, O'Rourke says, but a Trump second term would be even worse.

"Biden's campaign platform is 564 pages long. It promises everything to everybody. It's full of unicorns and flying ponies and candy-flavored rainbows and pixie dust. And when those flying ponies glide with the marzipan rainbows and pixie dust starts to gum up the works of society … we're going to be in for a mess … But on the other hand, I think we're done with this experiment of having the inmates run the asylum."

"There's wrong and there's damn wrong."

Either way, America should get ready for an "expensive couple of years."

Produced and edited by Meredith Bragg. 

Photos: Biden, Adam Schultz/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Trump, Paul Hennessy/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Trump, Rod Lamkey Jr./Sipa USA/Newscom; Trump, Chris Kleponis/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom; PJ O'Rourke, Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; PJ O'Rourke, Ricky Chung/SCMP/Newscom; PJ O'Rourke, SH1/Sam Wilson / WENN/Newscom; Trump sign, Paul Weaver/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Biden sign, Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Newscom; Debate, CNP/AdMedia/SIPA/Newscom; Twitter, Jakub Porzycki/ZUMA Press/Newscom; PJ O'Rourke, SH1/Sam Wilson / WENN/Newscom; Biden rally, Jessica Gallagher / Jgallagher@Q/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Trump rally, Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images/Sipa/Newscom; Gay pride, Ringo Chiu/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Market, John Nacion/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Megaphone confrontation, Leslie Spurlock/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Yelling close, Leslie Spurlock/ZUMA Press/Newscom.jpg; Dueling protesters, Steve Pellegrino/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Protestors, Jon Adar/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Trump in oval, Erin Schaff - Pool via CNP/Newscom; Republicans and Trump, SIPA/Newscom sfphotosfour528510.jpg; Red hat Trump rally, Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Trump graffiti, trump - Shawn Thew/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom; Vote, Michele Eve Sandberg / SplashNews; Trump, Pool/ABACA/Newscom; Trump, Alex Edelman - Pool via CNP/Newscom; China, Kyodo/Newscom; China, SMG/ZUMA Press/Newsco

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
    Thumbnail for What’s the Point of Voting?7:27
    What’s the Point of Voting?
    ReasonVids
    879 views
    Thumbnail for The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 2 Episode 620:30
    The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 2 Episode 6
    wkuk.topic
    485 views
    Thumbnail for Jinx the Anarchist Sex Worker Goes to Washington7:41
    Jinx the Anarchist Sex Worker Goes to Washington
    ReasonVids
    1154 views
    Thumbnail for Don't Forget About Bud Light Goy1:52
    Don't Forget About Bud Light Goy
    bestofupgoat
    410 views
    Thumbnail for Tonight, good triumphed over evil! God bless President Trump! 0:15
    Tonight, good triumphed over evil! God bless President Trump!
    bestofupgoat
    224 views
    Thumbnail for The best thing Zoomer women are currently doing.0:20
    The best thing Zoomer women are currently doing.
    bestofupgoat
    511 views
    Thumbnail for Reactions to Sen. Rand Paul's Speech at Howard University2:56
    Reactions to Sen. Rand Paul's Speech at Howard University
    ReasonVids
    979 views
    Thumbnail for EVERYTHING | Award Winning Short Film | Official Trailer (2016)0:36
    EVERYTHING | Award Winning Short Film | Official Trailer (2016)
    IJvids
    960 views
    Thumbnail for Der white woman 0:06
    Der white woman
    bestofvoatxyz
    1857 views
    Thumbnail for Reason Foundation Co-Founder Bob Poole on Ayn Rand5:40
    Reason Foundation Co-Founder Bob Poole on Ayn Rand
    ReasonVids
    864 views
    Thumbnail for G.I. Joe PSA - Dealing with Dysgenics original content0:28
    G.I. Joe PSA - Dealing with Dysgenics original content
    bestofupgoat
    265 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons Trump is Wrong to Oppose Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform2:30
    3 Reasons Trump is Wrong to Oppose Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
    ReasonVids
    996 views
    Thumbnail for Shrieking melodramatic yids in NYC do... this 0:38
    Shrieking melodramatic yids in NYC do... this
    bestofupgoat
    437 views
    Thumbnail for AOU prays for a successful site migration0:13
    AOU prays for a successful site migration
    voatcatbox
    529 views
    Thumbnail for Multiplayer Piston Powered Car Challenge! (Scrap Mechanic #182) | kAN Gaming19:56
    Multiplayer Piston Powered Car Challenge! (Scrap Mechanic #182) | kAN Gaming
    gaming.topic
    683 views
    Thumbnail for The Shocking Secret Government Watchlisting Guide: The Intercept's Ryan Devereaux7:14
    The Shocking Secret Government Watchlisting Guide: The Intercept's Ryan Devereaux
    ReasonVids
    922 views
    Thumbnail for Owned0:10
    Owned
    bestofupgoat
    286 views
    Thumbnail for Ted Pike in 19871:28
    Ted Pike in 1987
    bestofupgoat
    464 views
    Thumbnail for Judge Andrew Napolitano on Election 2016 and Being a Pro-Life Libertarian33:36
    Judge Andrew Napolitano on Election 2016 and Being a Pro-Life Libertarian
    ReasonVids
    1086 views
    Thumbnail for Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, and the Cult of Silicon Valley31:06
    Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, and the Cult of Silicon Valley
    ReasonVids
    1065 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: I Love L.A. (Randy Newman Parody)2:32
    Remy: I Love L.A. (Randy Newman Parody)
    ReasonVids
    999 views
    Thumbnail for The Revolt of the Canadian Truckers4:15
    The Revolt of the Canadian Truckers
    ReasonVids
    942 views
    Thumbnail for This is Yorkshire in the early 1900s. Look at the standards of dress. And a total absence of ‘diversity’. This is true England.2:14
    This is Yorkshire in the early 1900s. Look at the standards of dress. And a total absence of ‘diversity’. This is true England.
    AOUisgay
    486 views
    Thumbnail for Found @Boone0:17
    Found @Boone
    AOUisgay
    460 views
    Thumbnail for SHEINBAUM RESPONDE A JUEZA: NO VAMOS A BAJAR LA REFORMA Y VAMOS A DENUNCIAR | Jesús Escobar Tovar 1:54:31
    SHEINBAUM RESPONDE A JUEZA: NO VAMOS A BAJAR LA REFORMA Y VAMOS A DENUNCIAR | Jesús Escobar Tovar
    invidious
    201 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle