PJ O'Rourke

I've just finished reading PJ O'Rourke's Parliament of Whores - published in 1991. It is a general attack on all things governmental. He tries to explain how the American system works - or doesn't work. A few comments to make:

1. I really enjoy PJ O'Rourke as he is one of the few witty and intelligent voices arguing for a much smaller state. Such as:

For the people in government, rather than the people who pester it, Washington is an early-rising, hard-working city. It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vasts amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money.

His arguments seem to be more pragmatism than principle - although he does have basic principles of liberty at the heart. And the book finishes with a moral argument. He critiques the default position of government describing it thus:

The whole argument of goverment is this: If enough people get together and act in concert, they can take something and not pay for it.

He is very persuasive on the immorality and corrosiveness of bullying the government into doing what you want - and making everyone else who doesn't agree with you pay for it.

2. PJ O'Rourke is not a Christian. At least, I don't think he claims to be. He is a theist, as he claims when comparing Santa and God. He paints Santa in a favourable light. And God in a less favourable one. But says that Santa's crucial disadvantage is that he doesn't exist. As a result of his 'theology', O'Rourke can be rather mean, rather than satirical. I wholeheartedly endorse his satire of the ruling classes and self-aggrandising elites. His treatment of lobbying groups trying to help the poor are misguided at times. I agree that the principle of getting the state to do welfare and charity is laden with problems. But have some pity on those who need some welfare and charity.

3. O'Rourke is more even-handed in his party politics. He wishes a plague on both houses. He obviously favours Republicans, but admits the massive problems with it. He says this about the parties in the election run-up debates on p30:

When you looked at the Republicans, you saw the scum off the top of business. When you looked at the Democrats, you saw the scum off the top of politics. Personally, I prefer business. A businessman will steal from you directly, rather than getting the IRS to do it.

On p19,he says:

Democrats are also the party of government activism, the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work, and then they get elected and prove it.

4. There is an extended chapter on the American savings and loan financial crisis of twenty years ago. It is eerily familiar and unwittingly makes the point about how slow to learn governments are, and how poorly the perform the most basic of tasks like regulation.

I thoroughly recommend O'Rourke's works. Even if you disgree with his philosophy of government, which you probably do, he'll ask some pretty tough questions about the status quo.