P.J. O'Rourke is one of the funniest observers of American political life in the last half century. Some of his books are classics. His newest title, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land, is a worthy addition to his oeuvre, but it does show signs of his growing old[er] and [more] curmudgeonly.
O'Rourke consistently has terrific insights as well a gift for pithy one-liners. The world of Twitter and 24 hour news has given so many opportunities to hear people's opinions that O'Rourke's statement sums up political discourse perfectly: "What this country needs is fewer people who know what this country needs." Amen! Fewer opinions and smaller government are consistent themes for O'Rourke. He leans hard toward libertarianism: "Our government is so bad at everything that it can't even do nothing right."
Underneath the snarkiness and one liners, O'Rourke consistently has great insights as he communicates political and economic ideas in memorable and entertaining ways. For example, his discussion on the political theory of rights as Getoutta here Rights and Gimmie Rights. Individual rights and free markets guide O'Rourke's thinking and, really who can argue with that?
(As a side note, O'Rourke won points with me with this line: "Some fast food is delicious by any standards-- In-N-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger." I'll forgive him for liking the sub-standard burgers at In-N-Out, and everyone loves CfA. But his familiarity with and praise for my hometown regional burger chain--which has no locations anywhere near O'Rourke's Massachussetts home-- demonstrates his great taste and wisdom.)
There aren't many writers who have such keen insights into current affairs and who are endlessly entertaining to read. A Cry from the Far Middle won't thrill hard-core Trump fans, but O'Rourke is an equal opportunity offender and a thoughtful interlocutor across the political spectrum.
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