Libertarians On Government

Reason, the libertarian magazine, has devoted much of its most recent issue to issues of government. And while I think Gregg Carlstrom did a good job of fisking a slightly hysterical piece on federal pay. But I think this piece by William Eggers and John O'Leary, making the case that libertarians should care more about good government, and not simply treat agencies, bureaucrats and government projects with outright contempt, is well-worth reading. A lot of Eggers and O'Leary's arguments tend towards convincing libertarians that they'll be more effective in shrinking government if they're more familiar with it, an ideological goal I don't have much to say about, but they also make what I think is an important point about efficacy more generally:

Many voters today may indeed want smaller government, but what they want most of all is competent government. In addition to pointing out the flaws of government, free-marketers also need to communicate a genuine interest in the effective performance of the important duties of government.

After all, what is it that gets you so worked up about the current state of affairs? It is the human potential squandered by a government that isn't the best that it can be. The ultimate goal is the pursuit of happiness, and when a properly limited government does its job well, it fosters freedom, peace, and prosperity. That is a noble goal. Why not embrace it?