Satirists p. J. Orourke. He has appeared on booktv close to 20 times. First up in 2007 on our monthly call in program in depth p. J. Orourke discusses politics, writing and why he uses humor to discuss political and social issues. Is that a real picture of you . Guest oh yeah. Not a we. That was 71. Not quite positive. Host what were your politics in 1971 . Guest a martian left would be the easiest way to summon up. I was a leftwinger but didnt make enough sense to be a communist or anything like that. Host when did the transformation occur . Guest it was gradual. I just wrote about this. There is a book coming out from the Hoover Institution backing this called why i turned right, the story, it is a long story and i wont tell it. I will give the short version. I was a radical leftist very much in favor of a marxist socialist thing in america. I got a job paying 150 a week. I was a messenger in new york, 150 a week was a lot of money, living on the Lower East Side and i was very broke,
He also started translating stuff such as the book of jihad. The justification for physical violence jihad at that era. It is not considered a very important tax. It is important for jihadists jihadist but not something that has a much wider intellectual or academic value. Yet he chooses at that time to translate this. Speak to the people that attended the event. It would gone and attended the event. That is the kind of people who were already attracted to him back then. So the decision to translate was very different. A lot of those at the time in the uk were worried about the meetings. That is the first big find but taking another step not just make sense and giving them a reference but they are assessable in english. He translates that in the uk and really its all audio by the way. The vast majority of the work was a v. And soon after that he goes to yemen. We can go on about it. If you have any questions about that. I wonder when he left the uk my recollection as he have money prob
This picture on the left is that real . Oh yes. [laughter] not a wig. I would guess 71. I think a martian left i did not make enough sense to be communist or prosecutor. Went to the transformation occur . It was gradual. There is a book coming out from the hoover institution. Who is backing this and why i turned right. Its a story of a bunch of us. I was a radical leftist i got a job. 150 a week i was a messenger per week that was a lot of money as far as i was concerned living on the Lower East Side and i was pretty broke. We get paid every two weeks. I was looking forward to 300. So is my landlord. And my drug dealer. [laughter] and other people. I got my first paycheck like is supposed to be 700 that after federal tax and estate tax and Social Security i have been advocating socialism. Communism, marxism for years screaming and yelling and demonstrating and we already have it. They just a calf my pay. Whats going on . Also politics is christopher hitchens. Much more recently. Back i
You want to send in at any point you will see a q a box down at the bottom right of your screen. You can send us a question in the latter part of this event, alex will answer some of them. So to start us off, as im sure many of you know is a Research Director of the Great Program of extremism at George Washington university which has become the go to resource for many people studying this topic. And so why dont we start by asking how you came to take an interest in Anwar Alawlaki and maybe you can fill us in a little bit on the background as you explain that. Guest thank you scott thanks for doing this we had the shared interest of the New York Times in particular the back in the two thousands in the last decade were incredibly helpful for me and that is the book objective choice and my pleasure to do this. So this came across my radar in around 2007. I just started as a junior researcher, looking at activism and jihad in the uk in particular. As a look at the individuals and networks
It is an honor to be asked questions about him will be doing this for an hour or maybe a little longer and if you have questions want to send in, you will see a q a box at the bottom right of your screen and you can send a question the latter part of this event, alex will answer some of those. To start us off, alex is as im sure many of you know, the Research Director Great Program on extremism at George Washington university which has become a go to resource for many people letting this topic. So why dont we start by asking argue take an interest on this and maybe you can fill us in a little bit on your background explain that. Think you for doing this. We been in touch over the years with shared interest in her article the 2000 the last decade with incredibly, it is my pleasure drinkers. Came across my radar around 2007 i just started as a researcher looking at activism into the uk in particular. As i was getting to know if the individuals and the networks in the uk, this name kept c