The Backside of War [P. J. O'Rourke]

The Atlantic Monthly ^ | December 2003 | P. J. O'Rourke

[Publius]

Priceless.

[Howlin]

The people of Iraq may have nothing, but they have the bag it came in.

ROFLMAO. I'm only that far, but I am dying here. Just dying.

[Tax-chick]

Something from P.J. at last! Later ...

[Howlin]

You all will love this.

[Publius]

P. J. O'Rourke alert.

[68skylark]

bump to possible later reading

[John H K]

Thanks for posting..I missed this one.

I had thought that PJ had lost it the last few years and been surpassed by Mark Steyn. I was wrong; this was as good as any of his travel writing in "Holidays in Hell."

He's almost the only journalist I can trust to give an impression of what is REALLY going on in a given country.

[over3Owithabrain]

If your monitor doesn't give out first!

[MindyW]

Bump for a later read.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bump for later. Here is a PJ classic:

"Aid-seekers in England would queue automatically by needs, disabled war vets and nursing mothers first. Americans would bring lawn chairs and sleeping bags, camp out the night before, and sell their places to the highest bidders. Japanese would text-message one another, creating virtual formations, getting in line to get in line. Germans would await commands from a local official, such as the undersupervisor of the town clock. Even Italians know how to line up, albeit in an ebullient wedge."

[Agnes Heep]

Outstanding article; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Tax-chick]

Imagine Liberace as an inner-city high school basketball star who'd just signed an NBA contract and converted to Islam.

Egad! Coming back to finish this later ... why can't he do a couple pages a day, like Mark Steyn?

[John H K]

PJ's output has slowed overall...has a family now, and he's getting older.

He's always written books and longer feature-pieces for magazines. Steyn is almost turning into a blogger with his furious pace.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Sorry, Howlin. I might find PJ's cynicism, his going back to bed in Kuwait the morning the troops risked their lives on the way to Baghdad funny next year.

The other back side...seldom reported, and quieter...like the majority of grateful Americans who weren't at the ANSWER rallies pre-war:

8 The Other Side of the Wall

[bonfire]

Excellent P.J.


BIG BUMP>

[boris]

bump

[RicocheT]

"Having looked at the Mideast," Major Bob said, "I realize how the Arabs came up with the concept of zero."

Best line in story.

[BattleFlag]

I love P.J.'s work. Of the three books of his I own, I would recommend "Holidays in Hell" if you haven't read it.

If I ever wanted a description of something written that I could not see for myself I would want P.J. to do it.

[ArrogantBustard]

M'dear, I have friends and colleagues over there. I have family over there. But for an unfortunate quirk of fate, I'd be over there. Or going soon.

I thought this column was hilarious.

[headsonpikes]

Great P.J. O'Rourke read!

Thanks for posting.