What is Digg?181 Comments
- Johneeeee, on 05/05/2008, -16/+37PJ! Where has he been! Thank God! Real political wit is back!
- JimSwarthow, on 05/05/2008, -5/+18“I've got a 10-year-old at home. She's always saying, "That's not fair." When she says this, I say, "Honey, you're cute. That's not fair. Your family is pretty well off. That's not fair. You were born in America. That's not fair. Darling, you had better pray to God that things don't start getting fair for you."
that excerpt pretty much encapsulates why I love reading anything by PJO - CaptainAmerica1, on 05/05/2008, -22/+35Sage advice...
Too bad a crapload of young graduates won't listen to a word of it, much less put any of the enumerated items into action. - sugarhigh4242, on 05/05/2008, -7/+20Its a shame that O'Rourke stopped reading the bible at the tenth commandment. About a thousand pages later, God has a change of heart on the whole "fairness" issue and treats the masses to a seafood dinner with an open bar.
Oh well, at least he makes the conservative argument funny. - hipnerd, on 05/05/2008, -3/+15I'd love to see O'Rourke get a Gig on The Daily Show. He's one of the few genuinely funny conservatives and he would be a great sparring partner for Stewart.
- lendrick, on 05/05/2008, -14/+26No normal leftist (lunatic commie fringe not withstanding) wants equal income for all. What we want is a safety net so the poor don't get reamed up the ass quite so badly. Being poor ought to be uncomfortable to deter the lazy from taking advantage, but there are certain things, like health care, which shouldn't be driving good, working families into bankruptcy.
- n3demonic, on 05/05/2008, -1/+116. Don't listen to your elders!
I'm pretty sure they'll put that into action - dan222555, on 05/05/2008, -2/+12Humorous, but not sarcastic. I'm pretty sure he was entirely serious.
- cathars1s, on 05/05/2008, -1/+11O'Rourke is a libertarian, which means that he actually believes that making money may not be a bad thing.
- hipnerd, on 05/05/2008, -0/+9Like most people, I stopped paying attention to you when you said, "I haven't read the article."
- Sherman901, on 05/05/2008, -1/+10you are a dumbass for not voting.
- BikeMessenger, on 05/05/2008, -0/+9I'm glad he touched upon the issue of fairness; it's not an easy topic to honestly address (especially if you're a politician). I like to think the world would be great if some benevolent power somehow made us all equal, and that we could live out the rest of eternity in some social paradise where everyone was content (but not bored) and well-fed (but not overweight) and had a nice car (with free gas), but that ***** ain't the truth. The truth is, the best model we have found is just the opposite: let people be free to pursue their own interests, don't burden them with excessive taxes or regulation, and the creative effects of the market will benefit everyone, rich and poor alike.
Friedman says "The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will find itself with a great measure of both." - rawg, on 05/05/2008, -2/+11Good advice. Do something you're good at and make a lot of money. Use the money for what you consider a good purpose.
Take for example: Bill Gates donated a billion dollars to eradicate malaria. He's probably done more to help people fighting that disease as a software mogul then he ever would have been able to do as a volunteer or even a doctor. That's on top of shaping the global software industry, employing thousands of people, raising three children and enjoying a pretty nice life. - Nhmarine, on 05/05/2008, -0/+9Erm, how exactly did you extrapolate all that crap from this article? And also, nobody cares about your opinion.
- davewashere, on 05/05/2008, -5/+13That's a good point. The safety net isn't about giving the poor a free ride in life, it's about protecting society from social decay. When the poor (many of whom are under-educated and/or mentally ill) are unable to feed themselves they don't just go find a nice corner under a bridge to whither away and die in. They will often strike out against society, mugging people on the street, holding up banks, and pushing drugs to whoever has the money to buy them. You can only push the poor so far down before they have nothing left to lose, which is why the rich should be in favor of creating that safety net -- not just to protect the poor, but to protect everyone else.
- WallyAnti, on 05/05/2008, -15/+23Yep, that sounds like the mindset of your typical jaded boomer. Forget trivial things like ethics and morality and look out for number one. By that I mean make as much money as you can and don't think too hard about it.
It makes me absolutely sick to read how these idiotic boomers try to drop some knowledge on us. Don't vote because it wouldn't work at the dinner table or the clothing store. Democracy is already at work at the clothing store you fool. Every time you pay a dollar for something you are voting for it to continue to be produced. Yet we don't all have our mid drifts exposed imagine that. - hackiavelli, on 05/05/2008, -7/+15You know, it's dead easy to pick on the 60s generation for their follies. They made mistakes for sure but they also did a hell of a lot of good with the civil rights movement and ending the draft.
- HillerMylife, on 07/24/2008, -2/+10Agreed. Toss in some insincere self-deprecating humor to "validate" your points.
Like George Carlin said, "How did this generation go from 'All you need is love' to 'Whoever dies with the most toys wins'?!" - FecalHurler, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7Is there a way to report spam? I am so tired of seeing this *****.
- kingmanic, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7Not voting doesn't take away their legitimacy. All it does is make dedicated fringe groups more powerful because they tend to vote more so then you.
- moonshn, on 05/05/2008, -1/+8I can find you solid numbers about how a welfare state hurts MY economy; its called a W-2. I'm not trying to be mean here but honestly, does it not bother you that YOUR hard earned money goes to some drunkard on the street or some career welfare mom?" I honestly just don't understand your point of view.
- Kbennett, on 05/05/2008, -4/+10What I wouldn't have given to have PJ O'Rourke give the commencement address at my graduation...
- randumbusername, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6i hear you which is why im slowly becoming a libertarian. guarantee property rights and individual rights.... the rest is up to you. want to help the poor, start a business or charity [particualry those who are well off and want to pay higher taxes. going through a middleman (gov't) is inefficient and wasteful. ex. social security]. want to protect the environment then own property. want to lower the cost of health care then get rid of government mandates that force the price up with medications and procedures you'll probably never need. all problems stem from a bunch of ***** residing in washington, dc . will life ever be perfect. NO!! but if you get 535 ego-maniacal ***** out the way YOU'd be more able to do something about it.
- Beanbones, on 05/05/2008, -6/+12We need more people like this guy speaking their mind, now more than ever. Hearing rational arguments and clear, unclouded thoughts is like a breath of fresh air at a time when common sense has become anything but common.
- Kohaxx, on 05/05/2008, -1/+7I couldn't agree more, apathy and cynicism never fixed anything.
- moonshn, on 05/05/2008, -2/+8exactly as mm..biscuits said, do you decide the worthy and the abusers on a case by case basis? That will cost just as much as your safety net, which we can't afford in the first place.
before anyone says it, no we can't afford Iraq either - Envark, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6Bill Gates didn't kick anyone in the balls.
People chose to adopt Microsoft software as the de facto standard. - screamingjoker, on 05/05/2008, -7/+13***** BRAVO! That article is more honest and wise than I've ever heard from any professor, parent, politician and certainly any preacher-man. Go out and make ***** happen yourself.
- swrostmore, on 05/05/2008, -3/+9No vote = a vote for whoever wins.
- inactive, on 05/05/2008, -5/+10Genius. He's one of the few guys who gets dragged on as a pundit and doesn't start believing his own press. I loved it when he was on Bill Maher's show recently and said, "What you've got here is a bunch of middle-aged guys in makeup sitting around a table." Then he dragged a finger down his cheek and looked at the goo he'd wiped off. Classic.
- mmmmmbiscuits, on 05/05/2008, -5/+10Ah, but the problem is that millions of lazy people are only too happy to abuse the "safety net" in the US. And one need only look to Europe for what the end state becomes when the entitlement class becomes the majority--the "safety net" morphs into socialist cradle-to-grave benefits and nannystate-ism.
- TommyBoy919, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Dugg for speaking the truth! The gist of this article; stop whining about what you don't have or who has it better than you, get off your ass and make something happen!
- kipmartin, on 05/05/2008, -10/+14PJ. O'Rourke was funny back in the National Lampoon and Rolling Stone days, but hus neocon 'edge' doesnt cut it any more. he's a HUGE Bush fan now and has embraced the war (that nasty one in Iraq) by quipping tired old cliches like 'Lets bomb them back to the stone age!'
with 4000+ dead americans, and uncountable returning veterans with psychological problems, he owes them more than a funny wry one-liner. he needs to wake up and do some thinking--something he hasnt done for 20 years. he needs to start looking at the fact that his alcoholism might be due to his selling out and all the guilt and self loathing that comes with that. he needs new wry observations and he needs to be creative.
PJ O'Rourke used to be someone. he sold that quality and is bought and paid for. for him to tell graduates to follow in his path is a shameful use of his stature. im glad people like the Kennedys, MLK, and John Stewart worked from their idealism. they made the world a better place. O'Rouke just makes the world a meaner place. - arpad, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Crack a history book. The civil rights movement precedes the Baby Boomer generation by a couple of decades and none of the legislators who put their elective offices on the line to get civil rights legislation passed where Boomers.
Us Baby Boomers had as much responsibility for the civil rights movement as a rooster's crowing does with the rising of the sun. - Tyrghast, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5your comment is possibly the funniest way to describe the new testament. throw a little bit about a cosmic jewish zombie and I think we have NY Times Bestseller.
- VAXcat, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5 O'Rourk is right. I've been poor and I've been well off....believe me, having money is better. A lot better.
- malex, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Listen to these people. The only message not voting sends to politicians is that they can do whatever they want and you won't do ***** to change it.
Register Libertarian. Register Green. Register whatever moonbat yahoos turn your crank, but DO NOT sit the goddamn election out. - mmmmmbiscuits, on 05/05/2008, -4/+8Yeah, if only he were less intelligent, more cynical, self-satisfied, left-leaning, and had an unfunny show on Comedy Central. Then he'd be awesome, right?
- moonshn, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5you sure about that?
- gregfadein, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Corporations are bottom-up structures that rely on providing in-demand goods and services in order to earn money.
The government is top-down, centralized, planned authority. It just has to sign more taxes into law, and then can and will use force up to and including incarceration.
I'll take corporations over the government any day. - HillerMylife, on 07/24/2008, -0/+3That ain't democracy, it's capitalism. Similar but different.
- inactive, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Yes everyone should work from their idealism, no matter how drunk you are when driving off bridges.
- tikal2k, on 05/05/2008, -4/+7I didn't always agree with his politics, but I was a fan of his writing in the early 1990s.Great to see he's still around.
- BikeMessenger, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Zen, can you please provide a citation for this Friedman quote? I'm interested in the context and spirit of the conversation or essay in which it took place. Until then I am unwilling to believe that he would endeavor to contradict himself or the free market philosophies he so passionately believed.
- mickman17, on 05/05/2008, -2/+5I love watching this guy on RealTime with B. Maher.. He is unabashadly conservative but still has a ton of common sense - meaning that he isnt just blinded by choosing a platform. He call ***** when he sees it - even against the team which he chooses to play on. I wish more pundits were this way - smart, conscientious, and most important - able to see life/politics for what it truly is - a bunch of *****..
- way2muchsense, on 05/05/2008, -9/+12Shorter PJ - put yourself first, or at least in the top three or so.
I would have added "shun patriotism with your last ounce of effort" to that list. If there was ever a so-called virtue that was more over-rated, it would be blind "America, love it or leave it" patriotism. Hand in hand with religion, patriotism has caused more needless human suffering than any other idea. Your country should bend to your ideals, not your ideals to it. That's why you have the vote. - Angostura, on 05/05/2008, -6/+9Speaking as a British pinko liberal, I think O'Rouke is great.. or at least was great, I think he is getting perhaps a little stale now. If you want books that make laugh, as well as prompting you to examine your assumptions, I heartily suggest Holidays in Hell and Parliament of Whores.
- doctechnical, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Wow. I (and judging by the digg-down you got, a lot of other people) find him very funny. Didn't you even like the stuff he wrote for NatLamp?
- Hamletlere, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3No, saying that a physically laboring janitor is worth $10/hour and a mentally-laboring web developer is worth $25/hour is NOT classism.
What it is is supply and demand in action. Since janitorial work is a low-skill job, many people (including the web developer, usually) could do it. Web development is a highly skilled job, so there is less competition driving down the wage.
In addition, janitorial services do not make or break a company, and do not directly contribute to the company's bottom line by making products that the company can sell to make a profit. This means that companies put low value on such services, further driving down the costs.
The employer does not say "janitors are lazy, ugly slobs so I refuse to pay them more than $10/hour" (which would be classism). The employer says "any one of my employees can empty their own trash and clean their work area... I feel it is worth $10/hour to keep them from having to do that and allow them to stay on task." That's supply and demand.
Why do you think highly-skilled web developers command a higher salary than low-skilled web developers? Do you also see this as classism?
Don't get me wrong, I am all for fairness. But I am also for rewards being based on merit. To me, it is fair that everyone who can perform a task at equal levels get compensated equal amounts (black, white, male, female, whatever). It is not fair to say that all tasks are equal and should be compensated in equal amounts. - denholmwhale, on 05/05/2008, -15/+18I find this to be disturbing.
It just appears like he is propagating some indulgent, glutton American lifestyle that makes me sick every time I look out the window.
he is right, he is not wise...nor should we listen to him.
most if not all of the problems we face as humanity is caused by following what this man has appeared to follow within this article.
so ya, lets feed the economy, buy a mcdonalds,
and yes, lets not get involved in politics so fascist american politics can speak for us.
and yes...lets not be fair...other people can rot...so long as my ten year old daughter isn't dying of malaria
I mean, i guess i could infer this as a joke by reading the last section, however i believe it is just a waste of space to have written this article in the first place. -
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