P. J. O'Rourke Quotes
So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else available. Western civilization not only provides a bit of life, a pinch of liberty and the occasional pursuance of happiness, it's also the only thing that's ever tried to. Our civilization is the first in history to show even the slightest concern for average, undistinguished, none-too-commendable people like us.
O'Rourke, P. J. Holidays in Hell. Atlantic Monthly Press, 1988.
This is a fundamental difference between fascistic and extreme conservative vis a vis democratic and liberal points of view. Thomas Jefferson was the greatest proponent of the right of individuals in a society to not only question the major civilizational choices that have been made but to possibly change them for each generation which is exactly what has happened in America and most liberal democracies. However, many argue the contrary that certain fundamental civilizational; choices are so fundamental that they are immutable and may not be changed. The alternative for those who do not care for those choices is to leave the country.
Patrick Jake O'Rourke is an American political satirist and journalist. O'Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard, and frequent panelist on National Public Radio's game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Since 2011, he has been a columnist at The Daily Beast.
