A response to "Eat the Rich" by P.J. O'Rourke

A Response to “Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics” by P.J. O’Rourke

Just finished reading the book “Eat the Rich”.  I found it a fascinating read. Concurrently I was reading another book on economic theory (sort of. It’s called “Junkyard Planet” and describes the economy of waste) so I guess I have money on the mind. I have a couple critiques of his whimsical review of global economics but on the whole the book was delightful and enlightening on several key subjects. The book’s ultimate aim is to explore how wealth and poverty are created around the world in different countries. Explored are: Communism in China, Cuba, and Russia, free-market capitalism in the on the floor of the N.Y.S.E, Albania (!) and Hong Kong, and Socialism in Sweden and Tanzania. The author side-steps a few major impediments to wealth and prosperity in the interest of brevity and light-heartedness. I’m thinking here mainly of wars and the role they play in global economics, but the politics and economics of war would probably fit nicely into the book’s theory that free-markets create prosperity (albeit at the expense of lives). This book serves to give a broad understanding of economic systems around the globe and doubles as a travel narrative, in which the author relays his experiences and at times poignant observations of the locales he visits. He is at times a bit too flippant and cute, but it is obvious that this was intended to be an enjoyable read and it is (He was being employed by “Rolling Stone” magazine to do his research). I read the majority of the book in two and a half days, with lots of coffee. Most of his travelling was done in the late nineties (read pre-9-ll) and certainly there are some new developments that have surfaced such as the E.U., which would certainly make for some interesting additional chapters, yet the book remains relevant. I was interested in the book because of the shocking title and also the same slogan made an appearance at a semi-permanent installation at the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (where I live at the time of writing this). Also I believe I found the book for close to free (so, applying economic theory, demand for this book must be low?) With no index or end notes, it can hardly be considered a scholarly book, yet the information contained in it should nevertheless probably be assigned reading for many ECON 101 classes.

The underlying theme that money is pretty much a shell game is subtlety inherent in the text. The book concludes that Real wealth, however, is created by hard work and diligence within a system that encourages such; a notion perhaps lost on those of us who were raised in the eighties and nineties, where it seems that wealth comes from some small planet in the Betelgeuse System bestowed on those who are deemed worthy by some alien intelligence. As someone who has eluded wealth to this point (well, real wealth), I must admit I have been weary of the wealthy at times, though I come from a background that exemplifies the rites (and rights) of the upper-middle class, that is, upward mobility through talent, skill, and hard work. Free-market capitalism is touted (in this book) as the solution to society’s ills. I’m tempted to start shopping for Porsches.  And yet, as someone who has lived the life (albeit briefly) of an environmental activist, I wonder what the long-term effects of free-market capitalism will be on future generations. Hong Kong is spotlit as a system of unfettered economic growth, prior to annexation to mainland China, (which O’Rourke was physically present for in 1997). The Hong Kong system was an English experiment in Lasseiz Faire that was undeniably successful. No safeguards or social safety nets (a’ la Sweden) meant “get out there and get money, Ya’ll!” But what happens when there are no more forests to cut; no more gold to mine, no more fresh water, no more clean air, and the oceans are polluted with fallout from Fukushima-style disasters? How does free-market capitalism fare us then? Will we need a new book by someone like P.J. O’Rourke, telling us the only way to make a buck these days is declare war on the next county over? And pat us in the back and say, “it’s ok, this is how we get by…” ?

Time travel is interesting. Monarchies were en vogue for so long that the printing press was invented. Then colonialism,  the rise of independent nation states, the United States of America, World Cup 2014. And here we are now, democracy spreading itself languidly around the globe, amid the clatter and clink of ammunition shells. I think it will all end badly, and I don’t have an answer. But I feel that O’Rourke’s book is a good lead up to where we stand now, and if you need motivation to join the capitalist money-grab, by all means pick up this book. Better yet, first read “End Game” by Derrik Jensen which describes the multi-generational approach to get to where we really want to be as a society of humans that live on a small blue planet in the Milky Way galaxy. In the meantime, get off of the X-Box and start enterprising, young capitalist... and you know you are one.