The beauty of self-government

Our betters always believe they should run things. This is the animating principle behind organizations like "Alliance for a Better Minnesota," which assumes that things will be "better" if only evil conservatives and other mossbacks can be effectively sent to the sidelines. If good people run things, it gets better.

The problem is that theory and practice don't always mesh. The New York Times (via Walter Russell Mead) shares a tale:

Founded in 1946 by conscientious objectors from World War II, Pacifica was the first radio network to eschew commercial sponsorships and maintain itself through listener donations. But critics have long said that its top-heavy governance, with large local boards and frequent, expensive elections, have put the organization in a constant state of gridlock, and that unless Pacifica reforms it will simply govern itself to death.

“This is what the board does,” Ms. Reese said in an interview: “It fiddles while Rome burns.”

Those same problems were on display at a public WBAI board meeting last week in an arts space in Lower Manhattan. Despite the layoffs just days before, the first 25 minutes were devoted to a procedural debate about the night’s agenda, with frequent mentions of Robert’s Rules of Order. Occasional shouts of “fascist!” and “go back to the N.S.A.!” rang out from listeners in attendance.

In case you didn't know, WBAI is a New-York based station that once gained notoriety for broadcasting George Carlin's "Seven Filthy Words" bit. It turns out that the station is going to have to fire about two-thirds of its staff because they don't have any money. Of course, they haven't figured out how to take money by taxing people. Yet.