Peace Kills: America's Fun New Imperialism

by P.J. O'Rourke

With his latest national best seller, Peace Kills, P.J. O'Rourke casts his ever-shrewd and mordant eye on America's latest adventures in warfare. Imperialism has never been more fun.
To unravel the mysteries of war, O'Rourke first visits "Wherever there's injustice, oppression, and suffering, America will show up six months later and bomb the country next to where it's happening." He travels to Israel at the outbreak of the intifada. He flies to Egypt in the wake of the 9/11 terrorists' attacks and contemplates bygone lunacies. "Why are the people in the Middle East so crazy? Here, at the pyramids, was an answer from the earliest days of People have always been crazy." He covers the demonstrations and the denunciations of war. "A moral compass needle needs a butt end. Wherever direction France is pointing-toward collaboration with Nazis, accommodation with communists, existentialism, Jerry Lewis, or a UN resolution veto-we can go the other way with a quiet conscience." Finally he arrives in Baghdad with the U.S. Army and, standing in one of Saddam's palaces, decides, "If a reason for invading Iraq was needed, felony interior decorating would have sufficed."

Genres: Politics, Humor, Nonfiction, Essays, Journalism, History, Comedy

197 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2004

About the author

Patrick Jake "P. J." O'Rourke is an American political satirist, journalist, writer, and author. O'Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard, and frequent panelist on National Public Radio's game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. Since 2011 O'Rourke has been a columnist at The Daily Beast. In the United Kingdom, he is known as the face of a long-running series of television advertisements for British Airways in the 1990s.

He is the author of 20 books, of which his latest, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn’t My Fault) (And I’ll Never Do It Again), was released January 2014. This was preceded on September 21, 2010, by Don't Vote! – It Just Encourages the Bastards, and on September 1, 2009, Driving Like Crazy with a reprint edition published on May 11, 2010. According to a 60 Minutes profile, he is also the most quoted living man in The Penguin Dictionary of Modern Humorous Quotations.

Reviews

[Robert Isenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm grateful that I spent only 25 cents on this crap -- in the overstock section of the Lawrenceville library (which is basically just a homeless shelter without any beds). For years, friends have recommended P.J. O'Rourke, and after reading an agreeable Atlantic article (about jumbo-jets), I figured I'd give O'Rourke a shot. However he earned his reputation, it was certainly not for "Peace Kills," a collection of essays (basically) about 9/11 and its aftermath. Libertarian ethos aside, O'Rourke is as smug as his press-photo smile; his mind seems made up before he approaches a topic, and it comes about as an elongated thumbs-up/thumbs-down analysis (Kuwait good, U.S. soldiers good, Bush bad, Clinton bad, government bad, Iraqis selfish, etc.) His analysis is petty and boring (essentially, the Iraqis have failed themselves because they aren't bright or courteous enough to form a line while waiting for aid). Its one redeemer is a first-person essay about an anti-war rally in D.C.; he offers no thesis, but records the signs and costumes sported by the hodgepodge of activists. Anti-war as I am, it was good to hear a conservative perspective -- that the anti-war movement is often anarchic; protesters often use busking and goofy masks to announce their perspective, but the messages are often eerie or conflicting. Signs equating Israelis to Nazis is pointlessly offensive and it makes Leftists look stupid. The Left is generally too anxious, these days, to modify its tack; O'Rourke may be obnoxious, but he has pointed out, with relative gentleness, the weakness of the Left's tactics. In a way, he's doing the Left a favor.

[Jason Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sucks! If only O'Rourke was as witty and important as he (apparently) thinks he is. This is the problem with the writing/publishing industry: people think they have something important to say, and bam! there goes a forest.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Rourke is one of my favorite writers. He is a journalist who actually goes out and talks to people, in-depth reporting. He has a knack for hilarious one-liners. He is conservative, too, but you can't have everything, and anyway he is conservative in the least annoying way possible, more libertarian than anything.

This is a gathering of essays on war and peace, and includes a few chapters on 9-11 (O'Rourke lives in DC, or did at the time, and he actually went out to the Mall and found only a few confused tourists--all from the same small eastern European country...). Recommended for those who like political humor, but if you do, you probably already know about O'Rourke. The only thing of O'Rourke's that I had trouble with was On The Wealth of Nations, because it reads like a bored kid making wisecracks in economics class--I couldn't finish it.

[D'face]

I had never read PJ O'Rourke before and being a weak-willed liberal decided that I needed to read at least one collection of his essays. This is it. I would have to say that I did not find it very funny or very informative.

There are some good lines in it however:

Describing shopping in Kuwait "At a children's clothing store a toddler play outfit - shirt, jumper and gym shoes - came to $140 worth of jam mop and chocolate milk sponge."

Outside his hotel in Kuwait "A bomb-sniffing police dog was digging furiously in a concrete planter outside my hotel, which would have been alarming if the dog hadn't the unmistakable mien of a pooch who smells something deliciously dead."

[Michelle Yurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me forever to finish this book mostly because I never figured out what point O’Rourke was trying to make. I did appreciate some of his critiques of U.S. imperialism, though I often felt like he missed the mark, which is to be expected from what I understand about his politics. This book did get a couple of laughs from me, though much of the time I was sickened by his judgments of people he observed. There were moments of self-awareness, such as when he wrote, “Trying to understand a culture by being a tourist is famously useless.”

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have trouble understanding wars in this century. P.J. helps a bit. After all, postmodern war is a theater of the absurd, and working for the National Lampoon is a book preparation for writing about it. Still war, no matter how ridiculous, is a serious business that kills a lot of people and bashes the world into weird new configurations. P.J. reminds of that, too. There are are also some laughs.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read P.J. O'Rourke's books more for his first-hand accounts of traveling throughout the world than for his politics. This isn't my favorite of his books, but it does include his reactions to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and the months immediately following it.

[Cathy Houston · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very interesting

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy O'Rourke's middle-of-the-road conservative views, ones I don't necessarily share. Still, It's the kind of reasonable stuff that would make for good debates, not polarising rhetoric. So while I by no means agree with everything he writes, I am a fan of hearing his opinions.

Despite the lighthearted title, this is actually a pretty serious work. It brings together a variety of articles/essays written from different parts of the world circa 2002. In the wake of the Iraq war/invasion yet before the quagmire it was becoming became evident, it's an odd place in history for commentary. O' Rourke also looks at other topics around foreign places and the US' involvement there. Sometimes it's a bit outdated, but often they raise points that are still highly relevant today.

The last article is an interesting take on the evolving nature of war, though I'd like ot try track down his newer views on the topic.

All in all, an interesting and informative read that may push your buttons once or twice.

[Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Partly a travelogue and partly a means to poke funny light sarcasm at the erroneousness in the thinking and the unexpected results of the actions of the liberal elites.
As much as I agree with some of them, the author jumps too easily from one idea to another and tries too much not to offend – a dig at the right or left is immediately followed by a dig in the opposite direction.
Being written for the Americans, some of the references are lost to me, especially because I read it this week, instead of 14 years ago when I bought it.
In the intervening years, some of the story he treated so lightly (Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt) developed into great tragedies, Kosovo is still the same mess, and Israel still exists.
Easy reading, witty, but immediately forgettable and it is on its way to the charity shop!

[Keith Gicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough one to rate, as there are a few competing things at play here. On one hand, it is a well-written satire, linguistically speaking. I laughed numerous times out loud, and found my self greatly appreciating how O'Rourke does not pull punches in any directions (hits on both sides of each proverbial coin that he presents). On the other hand it has a tendency to meander, especially towards the middle of the book. At times it felt as though it was essentialy two pieces of two separate books, one where he satirically represents his travels abroad and one where he discusses his experiences as a war correspondent.

At the end of the day, this was a solid read that I am glad to have handed to me. I wish that it were more balanced and focused, but his words bit right at the core and kept me entertained throughout!

[Jing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have always enjoyed O'Rourke's writing, even though I don't usually agree with his political views. His personal opinions are less evident here than in some other article, and he seems rather a dispassionate observer with a wry sense of humor in most of these pieces. Lots of very confusing scenes from war zones, the world immediately post 9/11 and, in the last, moving piece, the mostly abandoned soil of Iwo Jima in 2003.

[Missy MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven but acceptable assembly of P.J O’Rourke essays. Some why-are-you-writing-this? moments and other laugh-out-loud moments. My introduction to O’Rourke was All the Trouble in the World, closely followed by Holidays in Hell. For me, none of his other books have measured up. Though perhaps that speaks more to my frame of mind than his writing. :)

[H. T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s rather satirical and I admit to chuckling a bit. The book is basically a compilation of stories from various war locations the author had visited as a journalist. It’s humorous in the calling out of everyone’s hypocrisies, no matter the “side” they find themselves on. Besides the chuckles there really isn’t anything profound here.

[Allen McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I first read this twenty odd years ago when it was published in hardcover. The precise events written about are still shaping our world today. People who want to understand the Middle East would be well served reading this as background information told with enough hunor to make the learning painless.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, if I don't have anything onhand to read, I will pull a book from my son's amply stocked bookshelves, which is where I found this. It's at least ten years out of date, but O'Rourke's snarky reportage never goes out of style. There's an infinite amount of stupidity in the world, sadly.

[C. Frank Daugherty II · Rating 4 out of 5]

PJ O'Rourke is always an entertaining speaker and writer. This was an interesting book and reviewing his real life experiences without an agenda and reading it several years after the after the fact lease me with the impression that he believes and lives in a truth that is not for sale.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very misleading title, given that the excellent essays this contains are far more ambivalent, thoughtful, and penetrating than most of the ink spilled in the early Bush years. Another very stellar collection of writings from one of the era's most versatile and intelligent reporters.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and hilarious

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Zguba Salemenska · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little uneven. The Israel and Iraq chapters are very funny.

[Ed Tiles]

Glad to have caught up with his writing, after too long a lapse.

[Matthew William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!!

[Jim White · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the later O'Rourke books that I read.

[Hogai Aryoubi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a waste of my time. This author has no sympathy and no respect and it shines through his writing.

[Daniel Lucke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy would be unrecognizable to modern conservatives. I don't always agree with him, but he's very witty

[Phobos · Rating 2 out of 5]

PJ O'Rourke is a foreign correspondent. He goes to many interesting places in the world; has been to them during interesting times as well. Unfortunately, like a lot of older men who were once leftists in their youth and middle-age, Rourke has moved on to being a Libertarian. Dennis Miller is a good example of this happening.

O'Rourke claims to be of the Hunter S. Thompson school of Gonzo Journalism. I see it, sort of, but I think O'Rourke is missing a lot of characteristics to be HST or Gonzo. He isn't a trouble-maker, first of all. He's just an ordinary journalist, just one who is a freelancer. He has some wit but he doesn't aim to shake things up as HST does. I really enjoyed HST's "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972". This is somewhat similar but not as playful, perhaps because the topic is more serious.

If O'Rourke isn't a Libertarian (he identifies as one), then he's of the 'let's mock everyone, i have no real opinions or beliefs' school of political satirical writing. This is notable when O'Rourke goes to an anti-war protest and proceeds to mock the whole crowd. I'm not a big fan of the soft left and I don't like hippies, but O'Rourke is just a fool. He derides the whole crowd and proceeds to say things like "So-and-so had a sign that said 'Stop Corporate Greed' but was wearing Addidas running shoes". It's pretty much like something off the website www.zombietime.com which just has mocking pictures of stereotypical granola crunchers from the Left. O'Rouke has no concept that we have no choice but to be slaves to these corporations. Maybe this idea is really too complicated for his 'brilliant' wit.

O'Rourke could say something interesting but he doesn't. He never really says anything interesting about Iraq when he's in Kuwait in 2003 when the war started. He has no strong opinions. He's pretty much just a pair of eyes on the ground with a self-inflated ego. He's definitely not Hunter S. Thompson.

[Mukikamu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never expected P. J. O’Rouke’s book to be a travel book, but it turned out to be a worth-to-mention experience. I say this for several reasons. Firstly, the book is about his travel experiences to war-torn regions of the world and he manages to stay personal rather than menacingly political. The places he visits come to life much better than in anything I read about these countries lately (not that I have read anything much apart from the daily news) and it’s always rewarding to have an insiders’ view. I particularly enjoyed his chapters about Egypt and Kuwait because I could connect to the local daily life. Although O’Rouke is stubbornly seeing silliness in almost all kind of human action and sneers with maximum vehemence, his book is quite enjoyable. Then again he is famous of his comic style, that makes you laugh despite all your judgement of his message. He is the guy who you can never argue with because he makes you admit how ridiculous you are after your first statement. I find his sarcastic approach an easy way of getting away with things, nevertheless I admit that sometimes lightness of approach is a good way to get to an audience and deal with heavy issues. As they would say in popular magazines: “ A thumbs-up!”

Locations: Israel, Kuwait, Egypt, Washington, Iraq, Iwo Jima, Kosovo

[F.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think when P.J. O’Rourke finally slides off the mortal coil (no doubt with a martini in hand), he will be best remembered is one of the best and funniest travel writers of his generation. Reading older political commentary (even when it’s only a matter of eight years old) can see the reader travelling back to a different world with a different set of assumptions. (For instance, the way O’Rourke can so casually declare that the war in Afghanistan has been successfully completed). Writing of that kind is rarely going to have any kind of longevity, as outside its specific context it really has no life.

However the travel writing in this volume – the author’s visits to Israel, Egypt, and with the US army to Iraq – still feel fresh and funny, (even with the occasional – from the view these years later – misjudgement.) O’Rourke has a great eye and a fantastic way of evoking a place. He also has great sympathy with people, so that everyone he meets has the chance to become a memorable character in his work. The original ‘Holidays to Hell’ is one of my favourite travel books, and I’m sure there will come a day when all of O’Rourke’s travel writing will be collected together and will be one of the best guides to how tumultuous and scary, but still basically friendly and colourful, our age was.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like P.J.'s satire for the most part, in certain moods--i.e. when I feel like be brutally realistic. No one can accuse O'Rourke of romanticism or sentimentalism, and he's mostly very amusing on the subject of everyone else's romantic, sentimental views--liberal idealism and, fortunately, republican mythology too (of unconstrained private capital, "family values" and sexual morality, the "war on drugs," religious righteousness, America's global role, etc.). He's certainly more tolerant of the Bushes than the Clintons, whom he seems to loathe, but he doesn't come across as the hawk his title might suggest. In fact, if the book intends some sort of argument in favor of war, it doesn't succeed or even make that argument clear. As a whole, the book falls short of some of his other efforts ("A Parliament of Whores," for instance), though a couple of chapters stand out: his coverage of peace demonstrations in D.C. is pretty hilarious, on the one hand, and his final chapter, about Iwo Jima, is both poignant and irreverent, in that it looks honestly at the island's history and its present role. Tour groups of U.S. Marines, for example, are still sent to the Japanese-owned Pacific island (more a volcanic cinder-heap) for "motivational" purposes.