"Politics is the art of the Compromise."
"Getting half of a Loaf, is better than getting No Loaf at all."
"The sign of a good deal, is when neither side is a happy with the results."
We've all heard such common wisdom. It is supposed to give us -- not the Govt we want -- but instead, the Govt we Need.
Yet somehow that ageless art, has been missing its mark for quite a while.
It seems no one is happy. And no one is getting the responsive Govt "we need", anymore either.
One side say, gets 85% of the Loaf ... (while the other gets the leftover crusts) -- and yet that hording side is not happy, unless they get 100% of what they want.
Compromise, it seems, has left the building ...
Imagine, if you will, a College Football Rivalry, that re-occurs annually, year after year. Two teams, roughly equally matched: the Red-shirts vs the Blue-shirts. Both Teams serious; Both playing to win.
Each year they go at it. Sometimes the Blue side wins. Sometimes the Red side wins.
The Rivalry stays in tact. People stay interested. The Game accomplishes its goal, and a "good game" is had by all. Year in and year out. The Sporting event happens, like clockwork.
Now Imagine the Red-Shirt Team somehow manage to get a controlling interest in the Referees Association and the Gaming Commission too.
Imagine the Red-Shirt Team gets to re-write the Rules, whenever they want -- even after the Game has started. No one notices. No one seems to care. No one ever said the Game was supposed to "be Fair".
One time, the Red-shirts get to kick off from the 50 yard line. Another time, they claim they get 5 Downs instead of the standard four.
Yet another time, the Red-shirts get to push back their Goal Posts, first 10, then 20, then 30 yards further back. No one notices. No one seems to care. It makes the Game more interesting, when the Blue-shirts have to "fight twice as hard, to get half as much." What "good sports", they are.
The Outcome is predictable. The Red-shirts win. They get their way by a mile, over and over. Afterall, no one ever said the Game was supposed to "be Fair".
Thing is, when the Rivalry game occurs again each year -- No one bothers to "reset the Goal Posts" back to where they once were. No one resets the Rules.
No one complains when the Red-shirts, routinely to claim 'dibs' on "First Down" -- no matter how much real ground they actually gained, or actually lost.
No one seem to notice that the 50-Fifty yard line -- the midway point -- is no longer squarely in the Middle of the Field.
No one ever said the Game was supposed to be Fair -- at least no one from the Gaming Commission. And the Referee Association, has a standing Bet on Red.
It's only Football, after all. A rough and tumble sport. And the Blue-shirts don't mind, not much anyways. What's a little Obstruction among colleagues?
They just keep showing up for the games, no matter who's rules they are now playing by -- no matter how far those Goal Posts have shifted -- permanently down the field. They keep getting their perks, just for showing up.
The Field Goal kicker for the Blue Team, now often complains however: his Goal Post target, is now permanently "too far out of reach." But the Coach keep telling him to shut up and kick the ball anyways. Afterall it's only a Game. Without some drama, the people might stop showing up ... and we can't have that, now can we?
"No one said Politics was supposed to be Fair ..."