This federal government shutdown is a defining moment for the Democrats. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and Chuck Schumer, Democratic Minority Leader of the Senate said that there will not be one cent for the wall.
If the Democrats yield to Trump, they will surrender the high ground to Trump for the next two years and perhaps the surrender the Presidency to Trump in 2020. One of the key raps on Democrats has been their unwillingness to say what they stand for and show that willingness to fight for it. Too often we Democrats and Progressive make the mistake of thinking that people understand our arguments and are persuaded by them. In fact, many people judge the goodness/efficacy/potency of our arguments by what they judge is our commitment to what we believe.
It shouldn’t be, but it will be hard to stand for the rational government policy of no money for an ineffective wall. The Main Stream Media, for example, has a frame for government shut downs of two sides, each with a rational position that must negotiate until they reach a solution to save hapless government workers from the lack of a paycheck.
As a former government worker, I sympathize with both government workers and the private contractors who have now replaced workers at the behest of Republicans.
But, elections have consequences. We are on the threshold of mitigating the ill effects of the 2016 election with the results of the 2018 election. We must persevere.
If the Democrats yield to Trump, they will surrender the high ground to Trump for the next two years and perhaps the surrender the Presidency to Trump in 2020. One of the key raps on Democrats has been their unwillingness to say what they stand for and show that willingness to fight for it. Too often we Democrats and Progressive make the mistake of thinking that people understand our arguments and are persuaded by them. In fact, many people judge the goodness/efficacy/potency of our arguments by what they judge is our commitment to what we believe.
It shouldn’t be, but it will be hard to stand for the rational government policy of no money for an ineffective wall. The Main Stream Media, for example, has a frame for government shut downs of two sides, each with a rational position that must negotiate until they reach a solution to save hapless government workers from the lack of a paycheck.
As a former government worker, I sympathize with both government workers and the private contractors who have now replaced workers at the behest of Republicans.
But, elections have consequences. We are on the threshold of mitigating the ill effects of the 2016 election with the results of the 2018 election. We must persevere.