Imagine that all of the members of congress and senators from both of the major political parties in the U.S. have decided that they are tired of all of the partisan bullshit that stops so much from getting done in this country. They, in all of their collected wisdom, have decided to have one person from each political party sit down and hash out what should be done on pretty much every issue and they will all vote according to the agreement these two come up with during their negotiations. Your party has elected you to represent them at these negotiations, with the understanding that your goal is not to hammer the opposition into submission but instead to work out a real compromise.
What would you be willing to give and what would you expect to get in exchange? For example, do you accept gay marriage being banned in exchange for universal health care? Do you accept the massive legal changes necessary to move the country over to renewable energy if it means you get to revamp welfare/food stamps according to your specifications? When given the opportunity to get X if you give Y what choices would you make?
I’d be willing to go along with the Republican solutions to health coverage and carbon emission reductions, if in exchange the Republicans would be willing to go along with the Republican solutions to health coverage and carbon emission reductions. Well, OK, the first is already in place, but it’d be nice if they’d stop whining about it.
I would be willing to lower some taxes, cut some spending, and re-visit (i.e. remove) some regulations if we could raise some taxes, strengthen and add some regulations, etc… You know, make government work better where it doesn’t work well, eliminate waste, increase efficiency, that kind of thing. Our current government seems to be made up of Republicans, who overwhelmingly only want to dismantle government, and Democrats, who mostly want to stop the Republicans. The people who are interested in fixing our government are few and far between.
I’d be willing to give up carbon caps and the push to renewable energy in exchange for dramatically ramping up scientific research funding specifically featuring the implementation of a full scale (think We Choose to go to the Moon level of program) fusion energy development program. I think the future of our environment is highly dependent on getting us to affordable fusion as quickly as possible.
I would give the Democrats every single thing they wanted in exchange for spending being capped permanently at 18% of GDP. Exceptions for declared war and official recessions would be permitted. For war, there would be no spending limit, but the extra money could only be used for war, and for recessions, only stimulus spending could be used above 18%. Stuff that would sunset automatically.
You’re giving them an out. As soon as you do, you know the 18% will lose all meaning. We will be in “war spending” or “stimulus spending” all the time. Formally.
Not really. Declared war is a very specific thing, and only military spending would be allowed to exceed the limit.
Official recessions are also very specific things, and only stimulus spending would be allowed, not permanent increases in baselines or permanent increased eligibility for food stamps, unemployment, etc.
I would make that deal. I think the government spends way to much anyway. If I had carte blanche to adjust programs without partisan sniping and protectionism. Think close military bases, shut down unneeded defense research projects. Restructure medicaid and disability. Awesome. 18% would easily be enough.
Absolutely. Gay marriage will be universally accepted eventually, that’s just the long arc of history bending towards justice, but gays have managed without gay marriage this long; and we all need health care now, and the arc of history bending towards justice is much less reliable WRT economic justice.
Depends on how you ban it. If it’s a constitutional amendment, then the long arc of history gets a lot longer.
Besides, we already have universal health care. For all its shortcomings, ACA allows anyone to acquire health insurance that wants it. In America, what more do we need?
So hell no, we don’t make gay marriage wait because someone wants universal health care in a different form than we already have it. If we had no ACA I could see some people weighing the options, but with ACA it should be a no-brainer. ACA is universal health care, at least close enough for American purposes.
we shouldn’t have to “give up” anything. The negotiations shouldn’t be a pork project swap, it should be a discussion of clearly defined problems to solve or projects to advance.
I would not give the Republicans anything. First, because what they want is either evil, stupid or both and giving it to them would be unethical and foolish. And second because they would never keep any bargain they made, they’d take whatever they were given, give nothing in return, and then demand even more. It’s what they’ve been doing for a long time.
EDIT: To use swapping a ban on SSM for UHC as an example; the actual result of such a deal would be SSM banned, no UHC, and an enraged LGBT voter base for the Democrats. It’s nothing but lose-lose-lose.
The Democrats have gotten screwed over again and again by trying to pretend that the Republicans are willing to compromise and can be trusted. They are not trustworthy, and will not compromise. They are not the “loyal opposition”; they are enemies of the Democrats - not mere rivals, but enemies - enemies who demonstrate no concern for the welfare of the country.
Helping your enemy hurt you isn’t “healthy and helpful” either.
Totally agree with Der Trihs. My stance would be that if the Republicans cave on absolutely everything, we’ll let them flee the country before the people rise up and hang them all from lamp posts. They can’t take anything with them, mind you. Just their pasty white carcasses. Anything less than total capitulation and we let history and the masses exterminate them.
