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The difference between corporations and governments is governments have a monopoly on force. It's a lot easier to vote with your feet or your wallet than it is to change a government with your vote.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Kuwait City is not gorgeous, actually, but it's got a kind of Epcot Center thing going for it. It's not pretty. But it's striking, I'll give it that. It's not as over-the-top as Abu Dhabi or Dubai. But nearly.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Politics is a necessary evil, or a necessary annoyance, a necessary conundrum.
P. J. O'Rourke
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In the Soviet Union, no industry went under until they all did.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Arab-led Islamic fundamentalism destabilizes nations from Algeria to the Philippines.
P. J. O'Rourke
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We also have a lot of the same influences - we both read a lot of the beatniks. And yet what we actually do is almost exactly the opposite. His [ Hunter S. Thompson] political stuff is just wonderful, but basically nothing happens.
P. J. O'Rourke
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What is obnoxious about the motives of politicians - whatever those motives may be - is that politicians must announce their motives as visionary and grand.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Think what evil creeps liberals would be if their plans to enfeeble the individual, exhaust the economy, impede the rule of law, and cripple national defense were guided by a coherent ideology instead of smug ignorance.
P. J. O'Rourke
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I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Gambling is so pervasive in Nevada that maybe the state should just go the whole hog. There'd be gum machines that dispensed chewing tobacco if you lost. You could gamble for the toilet paper in public bathroom stalls. And fill out Keno cards in an attempt to win cancer therapy at the hospital.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Because of their size, parents may be difficult to discipline properly.
P. J. O'Rourke
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The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Whatever the occasion, do not neglect alcohol. No other refreshment will do. Yes, alcohol kills brain cells, but it's very selective. It only kills the brain cells that contain good sense, shame, embarrassment, and restraint.
P. J. O'Rourke
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The Afghans themselves say that if you put two Afghans in a room, you get three factions.
P. J. O'Rourke
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In our brief national history we have shot four of our presidents, worried five of them to death, impeached one and hounded another out of office. And when all else fails, we hold an election and assassinate their character.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Nancy Pelosi says the angry opposition to health care reform is like the angry opposition to gay rights that led to Harvey Milk being shot.
P. J. O'Rourke
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If government were a product, selling it would be illegal.
P. J. O'Rourke
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People are always angry at America. They're absolutely certain that America either caused their problems or is deliberately not fixing their problems. But the anger is always directed at America and never at Americans.
P. J. O'Rourke
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I do have to travel a lot for speaking engagements.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Lampoon was a very collegial operation, though "collegial" usually means "friendly" and it wasn't that friendly. But we were tight, like a family.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Very little is known of the Canadian country since it is rarely visited by anyone but the Queen and illiterate sport fishermen.
P. J. O'Rourke
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We had a choice between Democrats who couldn't learn from the past and Republicans who couldn't stop living in it.
P. J. O'Rourke
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I arrived in the middle of a press conference - as boring a thing to sit through if you don't know the language as it is if you do.
P. J. O'Rourke
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As murderous industrial magnates go, Alfred Nobel is right up there with Ray Kroc, franchiser of McDonald's.
P. J. O'Rourke
