Saying goodbye to the late, great P.J. O'Rourke

No libertarian writer reached mainstream audiences over the course of decades more than P.J. O'Rourke, who left us this week.

Whether he was writing at Rolling Stone or entertaining NPR listeners, O'Rourke's entertaining style is what made him famous, even as he promoted liberty ideas for audiences that did not necessarily always share his politics or philosophy.

But they loved P.J. O'Rourke.

That he was not afraid to criticize both left and right endeared him to many, left, right or in between. Or as O'Rourke once put it, "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."

Few summed up basic libertarian ideas better. O'Rourke wrote, "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."

Probably one of O'Rourke's most famous or shared quotes over the years was, "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

In 2017, O'Rourke and I had a fun conversation about many things including the practical application of libertarianism to politics and daily life.

O'Rourke wrote at The Daily Beast:

I said to Sen. Paul, "I don’t know if what I need is an interview or a socio-political therapy session. Libertarian political principles must be applicable to practical politics or what are political principals for? But I’m not feeling it. I’m deeply conflicted. Although I know you’re not that kind of doctor.”

“I could do an exorcism,” Sen. Paul said. He described his own political situation, “If I try to be a pretty good libertarian I get attacked by the left, by the right, and by the libertarians.”

This was General Ferdinand Foch’s message to Marshal Joseph Joffre during the First Battle of the Marne -- “My center is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking” -- except not in French and said with a smile.

As for political principles, Sen. Paul said, “In Washington principled individuals are in the minority. There’s a good side to this. The majority can be influenced by public opinion.

Few writers or talents did more to influence public opinion in promoting libertarianism than P.J. O'Rourke, who was beloved for the wit of his pen as much as its bite.

In our discussion on the Fourth Amendment, O'Rourke wrote, "That is, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, and papers – which should forbid the government from poking around in my iPhone looking for sexts. I’m almost 67. I don’t know how to text. And I don’t remember much about sex either."

On the temptation of surrendering liberty for security, O'Rourke observed, "We surrender certain of our natural liberties to a government of our own making in return for public safety and order. Government is a necessary evil, and like all evils, however necessary, should be kept as small as possible."

"My example would be servings of vegetables," he continued. "Some varieties of kale grow to a height of six or seven feet. I don’t want that on my dinner plate next to a T-bone steak the size of a Susan B. Anthony dollar."

Nothing I could say about P.J. O'Rourke will be as good as the millions of words he penned throughout his spectacular career and life.

RIP. There will not be another like him.