You can see why by checking out this cartoon about Washington’s reaction to sequestration, which (gasp!) slightly slows the growth of the federal budget so that it is only $2.4 trillion bigger 10 years from now rather than $2.5 trillion bigger.
What makes the cartoon so effective is not just the humor, but also the fact that it makes clear that government is too big and it also debunks the Keynesian notion that bad things will happen if we have even an itsy-bitsy degree of fiscal discipline.
I’m not a TV watcher. I don’t even have cable. So I’m only vaguely aware that there’s a program called “Parks and Recreation.”
Based on these clips, though, it seems that Ron Swanson would be my favorite character.
Let’s start with his inside assessment of government efficiency. This is the snarkiest clip I’ve seen about local government, rivaling this brutal video on overpaid firefighters.
Swanson also has an amusing take on the general topic of bloated government.
I’d apply the same level of skepticism to the defense budget, of course, but Swanson’s character is on to something. Sort of the same theme of government being bloated and overweight that can be found in cartoons here, here, here, and here.
I’m curious, by the way, whether Swanson’s character on the program is unappealing. In other words, is this an example of Hollywood seeking to mock libertarianism?
International Liberty 