more on AtD (which contains everything) including TRP's political theory metaphors

[Mark Kohut]

The Inconvenience: 
I have previously quoted the ending from John Rawls' Theory of Justice---
in which 'grace' and dealing with everything that might come up [ala that curious
line re The Chums' in their mini-city at the ending of AtD].

Another major work of political thought, conceived and written, arguing with and
using/ attempting to refute Rawls is Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia. 1974

That anarchy word might appeal to all Pynchon fans. And his question, Why the State
and not anarchy? Can the State be just? Can anarchy? 

Anyway, from Chapter 2 of this book, since I have not read John Locke, Nozick quotes
this from Locke: There are "inconveniences of the state of nature"...Yes, inconveniences.
Uh....Remember the Chums' intercessions?

Nozick: Only after the full resources of the state of nature are brought into play, namely all those voluntary
arrangements persons might reach acting within their rights, and only after the effects of these are estimated, 
will we be in a position to see how serious are the inconveniences that yet remain to be remedied by the state,
and to estimate whether the remedy is worse that the disease."...Nozick, p. 11.

Remember that curious self-contained city that the Chums' become, so to speak?