P. J. O'Rourke: Quotes about people

P. J. O'Rourke is American journalist. Explore interesting quotes on people.
P. J. O'Rourke: 370   quotes 20   likes

“I'm a registered Republican and consider socialism a violation of the American principle that you shouldn't stick your nose in other people's business except to make a buck.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Republican Party Reptile

Republican Party Reptile (1987)

People , Business

“Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People , Idea , Thinking , Swine

“Foreigners may pretend otherwise, but if English is spoken loudly enough, anyone can understand it, the British included. Actually, there’s no such thing as a foreign language. The world is just filled with people who grunt and squeak instead of speaking sensibly. French may be an exception. But since it’s impossible to figure out what French people are saying, we’ll never know for sure.”

P. J. O'Rourke

Modern Manners (1983)

People , World , Understanding

“Killing innocent people by surprise is not called 'a thousand points of light.' But, as frightening as terrorism is, it's the weapon of losers. The minute somebody sets off a suicide bomb, you can be sure that person doesn't have 'career prospects.' And no matter how horrendous a terrorist attack is, it's still conducted by losers.”

P. J. O'Rourke

"Putting Words in the President's Mouth" (12 October 2004)
Context: Saddam Hussein was reduced to the Unabomber — Ted Kaczynski — a nutcase hiding in the sticks. Sure, the terrorism by his supporters is frightening. Hence, its name, 'terrorism.' Killing innocent people by surprise is not called 'a thousand points of light.' But, as frightening as terrorism is, it's the weapon of losers. The minute somebody sets off a suicide bomb, you can be sure that person doesn't have 'career prospects.' And no matter how horrendous a terrorist attack is, it's still conducted by losers. Winners don't need to hijack airplanes. Winners have an Air Force.

People , Suicide , Light , Personality

“In Japan people drive on the left. In China people drive on the right. In Vietnam it doesn't matter.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People

“People who are wise, good, smart, skillful, or hardworking don't need politics, they have jobs.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People

“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.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Holidays in Hell

Holidays in Hell (1989)

People , Truth , Lie , Books

“Marijuana never kicks down your door in the middle of the night. Marijuana never locks up sick and dying people, does not suppress medical research, does not peek in bedroom windows. Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.”

P. J. O'Rourke

As quoted in Busted : Stone Cowboys, Narco-lords, and Washington's War on Drugs (2002) edited by Mike Gray

People , Marijuana , Madness , Night

“The real slums are another matter. The bad parts of Tondo are as bad as any place I've seen, ancient, filthy houses swarmed with the poor and stinking of sewage and trash. But there are worse parts— squatter areas where people live under cardboard, in shipping crates, behind tacked-up newspapers. Dad would march you straight to the basement with a hairbrush in his hand if he caught you keeping your hamster cage like this.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Republican Party Reptile

Republican Party Reptile (1987)

People , Parting , Housing

“Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I'm worried about the difference between wrong and fun.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Holidays in Hell

Holidays in Hell (1989)

People

“Government is a health hazard. Governments have killed many more people than cigarettes or unbuckled seat belts ever have.”

P. J. O'Rourke

The Liberty Manifesto (1993)

People , Health

“Most of the research about species extinction has been conducted on islands because islands are controlled environments and scientists can get drinks with little umbrellas in them there… Island logic also tells us that an increase in habitat size means an increase in number of species. But it doesn't necessarily. You can build your bed as large as you like and still get very few people to sleep with you.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People , Drink , Sleep

“Some people say a front-engine car handles best. Some people say a rear-engine car handles best. I say a rented car handles best.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Republican Party Reptile

Republican Party Reptile (1987)

People , Cars

“I mean, so what if some fifty-eight-year-old butt-head gets a load on and starts playing Death Race 2000 in the rush-hour traffic jam? What kind of chance is he taking? He's just waiting around to see what kind of cancer he gets anyway. But if young, talented you, with all of life's possibilities at your fingertips, you and the future Cheryl Tiegs there, so fresh, so beautiful — if the two of you stake your handsome heads on a single roll of the dice in life's game of stop-the-semi — now that's taking chances! Which is why old people rarely risk their lives. It's not because they're chicken — they just have too much dignity to play for small stakes.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Republican Party Reptile

Republican Party Reptile (1987)

Life , Death , People , Beauty

“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.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Parliament of Whores

Parliament of Whores (1991)

People , Idea

“These were people who believed everything about the Soviet Union was perfect, but they were bringing their own toilet paper.”

P. J. O'Rourke book Republican Party Reptile

Republican Party Reptile (1987)

People , Perfection

“There is no virtue in compulsory government charity, and there is no virtue in advocating it. A politician who portrays himself as caring and sensitive because he wants to expand the government's charitable programs is merely saying that he is willing to do good with other people's money. Well, who isn't? And a voter who takes pride in supporting such programs is telling us that he will do good with his own money — if a gun is held to his head.”

P. J. O'Rourke

How to Explain Conservatism to Your Squishy Liberal Friends: Individualism 'R' Us
Why I Am a Conservative (1996)

Money , People , Support

“I guess the argument of contextuality is that anything is okay as long as it's done by people who are sufficiently unlike you.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People

“Remember, FDA employees are serious about fear. We pay these people to panic about an iota of rodent hair in our chili, even when the recipe calls for it. FDA employees are first-class agonizers, world champions at losing sleep. When Meryl Streep got hysterical about Alar, they actually checked the apples instead of Meryl's head.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

People , World , Fear , Sleep

“When government does, occasionally, work, it works in an elitist fashion. That is, government is most easily manipulated by people who have money and power already. This is why government benefits usually go to people who don't need benefits from government. Government may make some environmental improvements, but these will be improvements for rich bird-watchers. And no one in government will remember that when poor people go bird-watching they do it at Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

P. J. O'Rourke

All the Trouble in the World (1994)

Money , People , Fashion , Bird