Room for compromise if you agree with me

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This is not about politics, although that figures into it. This is about being a human.

It starts with politics. I finally found someone to engage me in a political debate. The fact that he and I massively agree on pretty much everything is less than ideal for this purpose, but I’ll take what I can get.

The debate is over the now-defunct idea the federal government might shut down. I favored it, as did Rebel. But he pushed for compromise and I pushed for standing firm.

What does that have to be do with being human? Everything. Being a human is striking a balance between the extremes of giving in on everything and not losing an inch of ground. The middle road is compromise. It’s a wide road too.

Live long enough and you will eventually completely cave in and completely refuse to budge. Most of the time we try to meet somewhere between ‘em.

Ground being set Rebel asks as he wraps up his piece, “Can’t we all just along?”

To which I reply, Yes. We can all get along if you are willing to accept inferiority. I’m not.

Compromise has led the United States to the biggest deficit in history, a gridlocked congress (if only that were actually the case, but that’s another story), manufacturing plant drain, trade deficits and a disintegrating international reputation. OK, you can say our international rep is falling apart because of our refusal to compromise, especially on the subject of Israel (but that too is another story).

I forget who said it, but someone said they had never seen a compromise where both sides didn’t get more than they wanted. I forget who said it because the person who said it is a fool.

When you compromise you GIVE UP something you wanted.

It also sets precedent. If you are willing to fold on THIS issue, the other side is encouraged that you might fold on THAT issue as well.

Sometimes compromise is good. Holding out for something stupid and ridiculous is self-defining and self-limiting.

Stand up and be counted.

So lemme ask you, have you ever compromised when you wished you had stood firm? Not budged? Didn’t back down?

What about those times when you didn’t back down, give in or agree to less?

How about some bad compromises you have made?

You have regrets on all sides of this issue. We all do. It’s called being human.

There are times when you wished you had stood, had caved and had sought common ground. We live and learn.

How does this matter in Washington? Both sides in Washington have given in a lot.

And look where it has gotten us. For the record, I agree with things the Reboobicans, Damnocrats and Teabaggers propose and I disagree with plenty they propose.

Looking at this strictly from historical views, if compromise continues to be the path our elected officials take, well, this handbasket is big enough for an entire nation and I fear the whole world.

As Kenny Rogers once sang “Sometimes you gotta fight.”