Expecting The Expected

(Expecting The Expected)

Coming as no surprise. One can have all the optimism there is but when two sides are in-tractable, only the illusion of progress can be attained. A Jewish-Palestinian problem can be seen as a minor territorial dispute compared to the open warfare now being waged by Democrats and Republicans over the debt ceiling. Republicans want a work requirement added and did want permitting reform. That stipulation has been withdrawn but Democrats seem staunchly opposed to adding so-called "work fare" as a condition for government aid.

Opposing work fare, however, is only the excuse. Democrats cannot accept stricter employment rules any more than Republicans could accept tax hikes but that is the fundamental dis-parity and why any such accommodation between the two sides. That being said, both sides, Democrat and Republican, have to be willing to accept default, at least on paper.

The question is who will get blamed ? The House GOP passed the initiating legislation and had been the first to offer a concession of a sort. From the Democrat perspective, if one has a job, he or she is less likely to need government assistance. Rather than enacting policies that would encourage economic growth, Democrat preference is the exact opposite. Republicans for their ultimate aim is a balanced budget in ten years.

So, what would be preferrable in the long run ? If a balanced budget is attained, however, that would preclude any profligate spending by President Biden and it would go without saying that any "green agenda" specifically would be precluded. What one has then are two incompatible samples of DNA. Expectations of what happens next is that there will be more negotiations but without resolution. There could be no other outcome.