Rhubarb Ruminations: Episode 12

I have to admit – I think I am suffering from PMMSD: Post-March Madness Stress Disorder. I am sure there are millions of college basketball fans that are suffering from this malady. I think it might be time to go to the doctor. Or the Internet. I understand that both options can elicit similar results on many diagnoses these days.

While I am in my post-March Madness recovery program, the world moves on. There is one thing we can always count on: more Rhubarb – NCAA tournament or otherwise. I don’t think I am the only one suffering from an illness these days. Just look to the legislative branch of our democracy for further examples.

1. Today’s first illness is the one that occurs when you become a legislator. Ye of many great ideas to save the world, or your little part of it, morphs into the legislator that can’t seem to see the forest for the trees.

We are now well into the second week of April and, imagine this, the Texas Legislature is still working on the budget. They have been in session since January, and are still trying to figure out the $27 billion deficit. The worst part about this is that they will only be in session until the end of May, then won’t reappear until 2013. They have 5 months of work every two years, and it takes them at least 3+ months to establish a budget. What else gets done in the meantime? I suspect not much can be accomplished within that context. In my humble opinion, I think it’s time for Texas legislators to start working on an annual basis. It might generate more frustration for taxpayers, but at least they contribute to the Austin economy while they are here.

2. Don’t worry, the same illness takes place at the federal level. They will bicker back and forth for hours on useless discussion points and political posturing, yet in the meantime the government has no money to function. How about cutting the legislators’ salaries before cutting other government employees or programs? I would bet that if working for the benefit of their constituents wasn’t enough incentive, then taking a pay cut certainly would be.

3. While we’re at it, let’s look at the systemic illness that seems to plague this democracy at times. It is another budgetary issue that is often overlooked.

The United States is bound and determined to “bring democracy” to other nations. In many ways, it is an admirable concept. I think that we would all hope that the citizens of other nations would have the opportunity to experience the freedoms that we experience here.

But – and this is a big “but” -  you can’t “bring democracy” to a nation. A case in point can be found in the history of the United States itself. Our founding fathers wanted independence from Britain, they fought for it passionately because it was important to them, and they then created a system of governance to make it work. They called it democracy. You can’t “bring democracy” to a group that don’t want it or aren’t prepared to die for it.

The photo above is of Freedom Square, in Katowice, Poland. The irony of “Freedom Square” is that the center of the square is now occupied by a Red Army memorial of two Soviet soldiers. Remember that the Soviets brought freedom to the Poles when they drove out the Nazis in 1945. This is the same Soviet Union that many would have thought didn’t advocate for “freedom” within it’s own borders.

But back to dollars and cents. There is one other significant problem with “bringing democracy” to other nations: it puts a financial burden on the United States, a typically unbudgeted burden on the country. When this happens it becomes difficult to finance all the other programs that may actually have a direct effect on our own citizens within our own borders – for example, education and health.

The current cost of the war in Iraq is $2 billion per week. How about Afghanistan? Or the efforts in Libya? Military spending destroys the budget. Could we stop trying to save the world, stop trying to “bring democracy” to the world like we’re the poster child for it, and please, please, save our own country and those who reside here?!

Photo credits: Wikipedia