A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them.

In this aphorism O’Rourke fuses two of his recurring targets—state power and wishful thinking—into a single warning about misplaced reliance. “A little government” concedes that some public order and collective provision are practically unavoidable, just as “a little luck” admits the role of chance in any life. The sting comes in the second clause: treating either as dependable is “foolish,” because governments are fallible, self-interested, and prone to unintended consequences, while luck is by definition uncontrollable. The line thus champions personal responsibility, skepticism toward political promises, and prudence over optimism—an outlook consistent with O’Rourke’s libertarian-leaning satire.