OK, I may be catching royal wedding fever, but this damn
question keeps sneaking into my mind.
Would
California be better off with its own king or queen?
Crazy to
ask, but I can’t stop thinking about it, perhaps because the nuptials of
William and Kate are already the number one story on the LA local news.
Sure, it
ain’t going to happen, but would it be so bad?
One big problem that underlies many
of our California maladies is that we have no sense of our own history. Californians
and their leaders move fast. They come and go. And yes, once in a while, they
return (see Brown, Jerry). But for the most part, we govern, and mis-govern
ourselves. The big decisions in California have had little to do with memorable
individuals or leaders-and everything to do with decisions on constitutional
amendments or initiatives that we ourselves made. Which may be one reason why
we forget the damage we ourselves have done, almost as soon as we have done.
A royal family provides stability, and
a connection to our history and our past. Another benefit: constitutional
monarchies separate the state and the government. Right now, the governor must
handle all the ceremonial duties – and the governing of the state. Governance
alone is a huge job, perhaps too big. Might be nice for Jerry Brown to be able
to hand those duties off to someone else?
Now that I think of it, Gov. Brown
already has done this – witness the rise to prominence of his dog, Sutter
Brown.
Where would we find a king or
queen? Surely, a certain element would demand their favorite Kardashian. But a
better approach might be to let the world’s greatest monarch, King Juan Carlos
of Spain, who oversaw his country’s transition from dictatorship into
democracy, to establish a royal line for us. Spain was our historic mother
country after all.
Don’t think California would accept
a royal monarch from someplace else? Look at how we embraced Schwarzenegger at
first. Or how the Republicans kowtow to King Grover. Or how all the newspapers
and reform types are kissing up to the billionaire Nicolas Berggruen.
And who knows? Maybe a California
queen would have a few thoughts on the budget.