--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, if government were a product…" description: "\"You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. ... Government contains impure ingredients - as anybody who's looked at Congress c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png" --- # You know, if government were a product, selling it would… ![“You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. ... Government contains impure ingredients - as anybody who's looked at Congress can tell you. ... government practices deceptive advertising. And the merest glance at the federal budget is enough to convict the government of…” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png) > “You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. ... Government contains impure ingredients - as anybody who's looked at Congress can tell you. ... government practices deceptive advertising. And the merest glance at the federal budget is enough to convict the government of perjury, extortion, and fraud. ... in a nutshell: government should be against the law. Term limits aren't enough. We need jail.” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques government as fundamentally corrupt, likening it to an illegal product with deceptive practices. **In simple terms:** Government is corrupt and should be illegal. Key Takeaway Demand accountability and reform. Themes politics corruption skepticism Mood cynical critical Type political satirical When to use this quote - voting - activism - policy advocacy Key Concepts institutional failure public trust Questions to Reflect On - What effective reforms can curb corruption? - How to balance skepticism with civic duty? A Different Perspective Complex solutions may be needed beyond jail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Budgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgets/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Convicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convicts/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Extortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extortion/) [Fraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraud/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Perjury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perjury/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Term limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-limits/) ## Related quotes > [If government were a product, selling it would be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. Government is a health hazard. Governments have killed many more people than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-know-if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [While the US Constitution marks these programs as illegal, my government argues that secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/while-the-us-constitution-marks-these-programs-as-illegal-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“They looked at the world around them and saw that the government was a ball of wasteful red tape; that the taxi industry treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bilton/they-looked-at-the-world-around-them-and-saw-that-the-government-was/) [Nick Bilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bilton/) > [Well, there's a Book that says we're all sinners and I at least chose a sin that's made quite a few people happier than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-stanford/well-there-s-a-book-that-says-we-re-all-sinners-and-i-at-least-chose/) [Sally Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-stanford/) > [Still another danger is represented by those who, paying lip service to democracy and the common welfare, in their insatiable greed for money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/still-another-danger-is-represented-by-those-who-paying-lip-service/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [Heck, what's a little extortion among friends?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/heck-what-s-a-little-extortion-among-friends/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [The law provides a remedy, charging those who threaten a victim's data for the purpose of extortion. Extending criminal liability to innocent third-party digital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perianne-boring/the-law-provides-a-remedy-charging-those-who-threaten-a-victim-s-data/) [Perianne Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perianne-boring/) > [“None of us has an obligation to accept the definitions of ‘respect’ and ‘gratitude’ our parents espoused, especially when those definitions can be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukasz-laniecki/none-of-us-has-an-obligation-to-accept-the-definitions-of-respect-and/) [Lukasz Laniecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukasz-laniecki/) > [God, how patient are Thy poor! These corporations and masters of manipulation in finance heaping up great fortunes by a system of legalized extortion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-how-patient-are-thy-poor-these-corporations-and-masters-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter how valuable you are and your ideas, fools will certainly play both of you down, so exclude yourselves from the inflammatory environs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/no-matter-how-valuable-you-are-and-your-ideas-fools-will-certainly/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Bribe is such an ugly word. I prefer extortion. The X makes it sound cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bender-the-cartoon-character/bribe-is-such-an-ugly-word-i-prefer-extortion-the-x-makes-it-sound/) [Bender (The Cartoon Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bender-the-cartoon-character/) > [“From the first extortion he had accepted, from the first directive he had obeyed, he had given them cause to believe that reality was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/from-the-first-extortion-he-had-accepted-from-the-first-directive-he/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [As things get worse and the State seems powerless to help, the State will seem less and less legitimate. People will lose their moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/as-things-get-worse-and-the-state-seems-powerless-to-help-the-state/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [ He \[Donald Trump\] is like - he's a magnet for crime and extortion and, you know, just really criminal investments which are extremely dangerous. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/he-donald-trump-is-like-he-s-a-magnet-for-crime-and-extortion-and-you/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) ## More by P. J. O'Rourke > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. ... Government contains impure ingredients - as anybody who's looked at Congress can tell you. ... government practices deceptive advertising. And the merest glance at the federal budget is enough to convict the government of perjury, extortion, and fraud. ... in a nutshell: government should be against the law. Term limits aren't enough. We need jail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. J. O'Rourke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-know-if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-know-if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/p-j-o-rourke-184_advertising_you-know-if-government-were-a-product-se_1509855.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. ... Government contains impure…” — P. J. O'Rourke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "P. J. O'Rourke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, if government were a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-know-if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-know-if-government-were-a-product-selling-it-would-be-illegal-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```