Customer Reviews

Why I Am A Conservative (Broadside Series)

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With respect to the ability for Conservatives to communicate their message, P.J. O'Rourke is ahead of the game. He utilizes humor effectively to transmit the hope and dignity inherent in the Conservative message. And at the same time, he mocks, belittles, and refutes Liberalism by engaging it unto reducto ad absurdum. Liberals Beware! O'Rourke possesses a very powerful weapon of persuasion.

O'Rourke makes it clear that Conservatism has nothing whatsoever to do with progress or any lack thereof. Conservatism has to do with preserving what is good and right. Conservatism is opposed to change for the sake of change itself. And Conservatism is opposed to engaging in change to fancy the ego of someone bent on being creative at the expense of human lives.

And Conservatives are none too proud to seek advice from the past - "A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation ... People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors." (Reflections on the Revolution in France [1790], Edmund Burke)

I've been a fan of P. J. O'Rourke since the late 1970s, when, as a high school student, I first started reading his articles in National Lampoon. "Why I am a Conservative" is a small, twenty-two page booklet in which O'Rourke explains just that and, as usual, does so in a manner that displays both his keen intellect and sense of humor.

O'Rourke's brand of conservatism is based on "the sanctity of the individual" and he has much in common with the libertarians. However, in the section of the booklet entitled "What Government Actually Can Do - Such as Kill People" (Pages 11 to 16), O'Rourke rejects enough of the libertarian creed so that the label "conservative" is certainly appropriate for his beliefs.

O'Rourke believes that "the two fundamental rules of a political system" should be "mind your own business" and "keep your hands to yourself." He notes that there is no virtue in advocating government welfare programs: "A politician who commends himself as 'caring' and 'sensitive' because he wants to expand the government's charitable programs is merely saying that he's willing to try to do good with other people's money. Who isn't? A voter who takes pride in supporting such programs is telling us that he'll do good with his own money - if a gun is held to his head."

I highly recommend this booklet for all P. J. O'Rourke fans, as well as to those who are looking for a brief introduction to his brand of political humor.

In this very short book (more of a pamphlet, really) noted political humorist P.J. O'Rourke gives a mostly serious account of the reasons why he considers himself a conservative. He makes some good points, although his definition of conservative isn't the currently standard one; he's more of a classic libertarian. I disagree with him on a few specifics, but in general, if more people ascribed to his definition of conservative, I might call myself one too. Since few people do, I don't.

not bad but conservatism = no progress ? I'm not an American, but have you noticed how the great American political heroes have actually been radicals not conservatives?