But There's Going To Be Some Trouble Getting To The Fine Part.
In the book, O’Rourke’s 19th, the former editor in chief of National Lampoon uses his celebrated blend of acerbity and warmth to explore the 2016 election, which he refers to as a “rebellion” against people in control. O’Rourke, a regular panelist on npr’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!, worries our changing economy is fueling a populist wave of fear and anger. “There’s a segment of America that feels threatened by change, change of all kinds,” he says. Still, he’s optimistic for the future. His kids might have three or four careers over the course of their lives, but “I think they’re pretty hip to that, actually. I don’t think that they’re particularly frightened by it.”
In March, Reason’s Nick Gillespie spoke with O’Rourke by phone about what he saw on the 2016 campaign trail, what it means for the country, and how libertarians should respond to this new populist moment.
Reason: Do you consider yourself more of a libertarian or a conservative? Where do you see the border between those concepts?
O’Rourke: It really depends upon from what angle we’re looking at things. Politically, I consider myself primarily to be a libertarian. I am personally conservative. I’m conservative about religion. I’m conservative about moral values. I’m probably even somewhat more conservative than many libertarians are in foreign policy.
Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Reason magazine.
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Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Reason magazine.
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Libertarianism From the Ground Up
ARGUMENTS FOR LIBERTARIANISM typically take two forms. Some libertarians base their creed on natural rights-the idea that each individual has an inborn right to self-ownership, or freedom from aggression, or whatever-and proceed to argue that only a libertarian political regime is compatible with those rights.
Lawlessness and Liberalism
THE UNITED STATES is notorious both for mass incarceration and for militarized police forces.
Politics Without Journalism
THE 2024 CAMPAIGN WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR THE WAY WE PROCESS PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
EVERY BODY HATES PRICES
BUT THEY HELP US DECIDE BETWEEN BOURBON AND BACONATORS.
The Great American City Upon a Hill Is Always Under Construction
AMERICA'S UTOPIAN DREAMS LEAD TO URBAN EXPERIMENTATION.
Amanda Knox Tells Her Own Story
\"OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RELIES UPON OUR OWN IGNORANCE AND THE FACT THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR RIGHTS ARE.\"
Trade Policy Amnesia
WHILE HE WAS interviewing for the job, President Joe Biden demonstrated an acute awareness of how tariffs work. It's worrisome that he seems to have forgotten that or, worse, chosen to ignore it-since he's been president.
Civil Liberties Lost Under COVID
WHEN JOE BIDEN was sworn in as president in January 2021, he had good reason to be optimistic about the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bye, Joe
AMERICA'S 46th president is headed out the door. After a single term marked by ambitious plans but modest follow-through, Joe Biden is wrapping up his time in office and somewhat reluctantly shuffling off into the sunset.
Q&A Mark Calabria
IF YOU HAVE a mortgage on your home, the odds are that it's backed by one of two congressionally chartered, government-sponsored enterprises (GSES), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.