Sunday, April 13, 2008

P J O'Rourke on the Seven Deadlies

While commenting on the "new" sins (relax, folks--they aren't "new") O'Rourke comments on the old ones.

Life has changed since Pope Gregory the Great scribbled his initial list in the sixth century. For one thing modern society has turned Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Sloth, and Greed into virtues: building self-esteem, dreaming your dream, exercising gourmet tastes, having satisfying sex for life, speaking truth to power, being relaxed and centered. And Gordon Gekko said 'it['s] all about greed'

...The beauty of Pope Gregory's lineup was that he nailed our most devilish villainies with one word each.

O'Rourke is really, really good...

HT: Provincial Emails

1 comment:

M.E. said...

Yes, he really is. Eat the Rich is one of the funniest books on economics that I ever read. Hmmm, make that the only funny book on economics ever written. Politically speaking, he leans a little too liberatarian for my taste, but nonetheless, he's very good, just as you said.