POLITICS
The Banana Stand Theory of Governance
One explanation for the un-rescission of federal funding
The ping-ponging heard from the Trump White House on freezing and then unfreezing federal funds leaves millions of American unsure about whether basic services — like Medicaid — are or are not available to them. The executive order followed by the rescission of the executive order followed by an explanation that it is not actually a rescission of the funding freeze, but just the OMB memo explaining the freeze, is enough to make you dizzy.
This is funny, on one level, but also awful news for the nearly 100 million people whose vital healthcare is in doubt.
It also raises a big question about what exactly is going on.
What theory of governance is directing the new administration to swing so wildly from one decision to another, seemingly unsure of what their intentions are on some of the most critical federal programs? They spent months getting this all ready, why the indecision?
There’s an episode of the sitcom “Arrested Development” that comes to mind. In that episode from season 1, titled “Top Banana”, Michael Bluth (played by Jason Bateman) hands over control of a family concession stand to his incompetent teenage son George Michael (played by Michael Cera). George Michael, who has little experience managing much of anything, nervously stumbles his way through serving up frozen bananas dipped in chocolate to customers on the pier.
It’s not that anyone in particular resembles George Michael in DC right now, but reporting from Wired suggests at least one new adviser at the Office of Personnel Management graduated from high school just last year.
When Michael Bluth visits his corrupt father, George Sr. (played by Jeffrey Tambor), in prison, desperate to find a way to pay off his family’s growing debts, George Sr. mutters under his breath “there’s always money in the banana stand.”
Thinking he knows what his father is suggesting, Michael dispatches his brother, G.O.B. (played by Will Arnett), to mail the insurance check for the banana stand. G.O.B., of course, does no such thing.
Not knowing this, when Michael Bluth finds out his son is so distraught mismanaging the banana stand that he wants to burn it down, Michael Blush agrees to help him, a way for the father and son to bond as well as secure the needed insurance payout.
No mailed insurance check, means no insurance payment, but things get worse for the Bluths. When Michael Bluth returns to returns to visit George Sr. and reveals to him that the banana stand has been burned down, his enraged father informs him that there was literally money in the banana stand, $250,000 stuffed into the walls.
In this metaphor, we, I fear, are the banana stand.
The current theory of governance in DC isn’t much different than the theory of the banana stand. Set it aflame; the insurance payout will make it all worth it.
Except it’s never that simple.
The Bluth offspring misunderstand the value of the banana stand, just as many in this incoming administration misunderstand the value of federal services and government employees. Firing tens of thousands of federal experts and suspending federal funding means, while you recklessly burn it all down, you also scorch everything of value hidden in the walls.
