Chicken

                                                                               

Did you ever hear of the goose that laid the golden egg. You probably did, and I'm not going to tell you about it anyway. We have a better and a current example of a similar but also opposite phenomenon. Our government is in the process of laying an egg, but it certainly isn't golden. In fact, it may drain us of gold rather than bring it to us. And the cause of it all is that our leaders are playing chicken.

They tell us that they are willing to compromise, but their principles prevent them from going further, and they demand that the other side be more forthcoming. It's basically a difference in political philosophy that is bringing us closer to the “fiscal cliff.” And it was planned that way. Both the liberals and the conservatives, wanting to avoid a contentious fight over taxes and entitlements earlier, kicked the can down the road – they put off decision-making on our fiscal situation until after the election and assumed that the impending problem would force a compromise.

We're now down the road. And the can is just in front of us. But no compromise seems likely to occur. We're faced with a situation in which there aren't just two sides, but many. Intra-party disputes prevent a unified position even where that would seem to be possible. It prevents the Republicans, who control the House of Representatives – the body that is charged with responsibility for originating money bills – from even voting on a compromise approved by their leader. Disputes within the party are severe enough to eliminate the possibility that they will all support such a bill. And the disputes are framed as disagreements over principles and political philosophy.

And the negotiator for the Democrats is the President, who has the responsibility, as head of the Executive branch, of approving or disapproving acts passed by Congress – the Legislative branch. Having set preconditions to the discussion – he, too is acting on principle – he has declared that he will veto any bill that does not increase the taxes on the “rich.” Instead of simply exercising Executive function, he is in the middle of the Legislative process. The “Separation of powers” is a fiction.

So both political parties, and all factions in them, claim to be acting for the good of the country, as is demonstrated by their determination to stick to their guns and take no prisoners, refuse to reach a compromise. But the reality is that their hope is to strengthen themselves for the next election. For each of them the only course is “my way or the highway.” They'll find a way to protect themselves, however, and if others suffer it's for a good cause – theirs. The argument for refusing to find common ground is that doing so – compromising – will require that they accept something with which they (or those who might vote for them) abhor. “My way or the highway.” But certainly not your way. We won't cross the road to get to the other side. We won't even come to the middle of the road. That's too dangerous.
When the stock market collapsed in 1929, Variety's take was “Wall Street Lays An Egg.” Now it's the government's turn. Now it's the fiscal cliff that we're going over. We won't be rappelling and there's no bungee cord. It's free fall. In fact, “free” is the problem – free spending on those viewed by some as freeloaders versus free enterprise, what others see as a free ride for the rich. And neither side will give.

The result of this game of Chicken will be economic ruin for many of our citizens. But, as the saying goes, “You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.” In this particular instance the eggs are the American people, and those who say this are usually hard-boiled, and have their own shells intact.

Of course we can always kick the can a little farther and let someone else solve the problem.