The Rise and Fall of Hope and Change

The Rise and Fall of Hope and Change



Alexis de Toqueville

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.
Alexis de Tocqueville

The United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol Building

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

The Continental Congress

The Continental Congress

George Washington at Valley Forge

George Washington at Valley Forge


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Boehner Gave Up Too Much

From The American Thinker:

April 10, 2011


Boehner Gave Up Too Much

Lee Cary







I believe Boehner gave up too much. A TV pundit said that the Dems and Repubs "split the difference." Nonsense.





In a former occupation, I designed and taught a business negotiating skills class for the management training company I worked for then, and later wrote and sold a better class as an independent. Back then, in a Neanderthalish zero sum game, if I "drop anchor" at 100, and you drop at zero, and the final agreement is 38.5, we obviously didn't "split the difference." I lost. Particularly considering that, as you know, the federal debt jumped $54B while they were debating what turned out to be a lesser decrease in spending. Who's zoomin' who?





Boehner should have said, "We'll agree to a total decrease in spending equal to the additional debt we incurred while debating this issue. And, if you can't agree to that, let's shut down all but essential government functions - you decide what's essential - and the number we'll agree to will continue to rise as we continue to borrow more money. We won't be a party to bankrupting the nation. And that, gentlemen, is our final offer."





I believe that would have send a powerful and compelling message.





I see the whole exercise as essentially a coin toss before the big game starts. In this case, the coin landed on its edge. We the people lost, while the political parties tied. I don't see anything much good coming out of all this at the near end. Nothing, anyway, that will forestall some rendition of national bankrupcy.





My motto is: When the politicians and pundits from both political parties claim victory, the people lost. And when the politicians say the people ultimately won, I know for sure we lost.



Posted at 04:00 PM

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