Tuesday, November 10, 2009

PJ O'Rourke

Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power. America wasn't founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we damned well pleased. Even very young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening him with it much more effective. Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there. Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a "learning experience." Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've done as a "learning experience." It makes me feel less stupid. If you are young and you drink a great deal it will spoil your health, slow your mind, make you fat - in other words, turn you into an adult. Seriousness is stupidity sent to college. The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. The good news is that, according to the Obama administration, the rich will pay for everything. The bad news is that, according to the Obama administration, you're rich. The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person. There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. (http://reason.com/blog/2009/07/02/reasontv-pj-orourke-where-was)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Caro Sol. Sou velhinho o bastante para poder afirmar peremptoriamente
(palavra que só velhinho usa) que é
tudo uma canalha só. Mas tem uma coisa que vale para a canalhada, que é saber que dar dinheiro e poder pra governo é como dar uísque e carro pra garotada. Vai dar merda. Não dá hoje, nem amanhã.
Mas um dia dá. Você tem do lado esquerdo da montanha um grupo de hienas. Do outro lado da montanha há outro grupo de hienas. Pode ser que eles adotem táticas diferentes para caçar, mas o objetivo é o mesmo e bom velho gato do ditado chines: o importante é pegar o rato. Uma vez de posse da presa, o que fazem com ela é rigorosamente igual, embora ritualisticamente diferente. Afinal há um bando do lado esquerdo da montanha e outro do lado direito. Eles não aprendem outras coisas na vida, exceto caçar, comer, copular. Ganha uma carniça de gnu quem acertar o nome da caça.