It’s usually not too rewarding to be a liberal in the United States.

The political spectrum has slowly skewed right over the past few decades, to the point where our president, who would be considered center-right by any other standard, is called a communist on national television.

So why do we continue to follow this seemingly doomed path, trying to drag America kicking and screaming into the 21st century?

Is it because we are so committed to the values of liberty, equality and fraternity, because we want to see a modern America with intelligent,compassionate leadership?

Well, that’s what most Americans are likely to say. Me, though, I try to be honest.

And I just goddamn love to be right.

My dream job is to take over when Alex Trebek retires, wait for “Jeopardy!” contestants to get a question wrong, then smile knowingly and correct them with impeccable foreign diction.

The moustache opportunities are just a bonus.

But I think I hit Peak Smug just the other day while browsing The New York Times. The headline “Restoring Family-Planning Cuts Without Ruffling Feathers” piqued my interest.

After cutting state funding to family planning centers last year, Texas legislators are making efforts to change next year’s budget to reverse that.

I’m all about government funding of family planning, sex education and women’s health. It’s been proven that increased exposure to these topics helps decrease the incidence of sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy and even abortions.

Naturally, I was glad to see Texas bringing money back to the centers that provide all these services, after they’ve come under fire in red states in recent years. They make an easy target for budget cuts in states where abortion isn’t popular, because they’re usually run by agencies like Planned Parenthood that have a particularly bad reputation with the pro-life crowd.

But that’s no reason to be smug, is it? Shouldn’t a liberal be glad to see a progressive policy being accepted in such a traditionally Republican state?

Sure, I guess so. Good for you, Texas. You managed to take some time away from teaching your kids that Thomas Jefferson was the Antichrist to help out your citizens a little. Sterling work.

But no, that’s not all.

Texas originally made those cuts in order to help out the state budget when they were hard up for cash, not for any ideological reason.

That’s commendable, I guess. I’m glad Texas isn’t out to spite poor people just for the hell of it.

So what am I making such a big deal about, you ask? Why can’t I wipe this stupid grin off my face?

In 2011, Texas cut $73 million from the state budget that would have gone to fund women’s health and family planning centers. This year, it’s projected there will be 24,000 additional births in Texas, costing taxpayers up to $273 million.

So Texas’ famous fiscal conservatism, in one masterful move, cost the taxpayers a cool $200 million and added thousands to its already-strained healthcare system.

Is it petty to find so much glee in the Texas legislature’s abject failure? Yes, absolutely.

But we all have our guilty pleasures. Some people go for Jerry Springer marathons or a two-pound bag of Reese’s Pieces.

But my soul finds comfort in telling you what’s what and being inarguably right about it, in taking your opinions and mashing them up like a wet ball of toilet paper.

And when that happens, you can bet your ass you’re going to hear about it.

Gordon Brillon is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Lincoln, RI.