Marco.org

Republicans offered Democrats two more weeks before the doomsday shut-down. Democrats countered with four. Republicans held their ground. Democrats agreed to two.

This is what passes for compromise in our nation’s capital.

By Robert Reich.

For the first two years of the Obama administration, I kept waiting, giving them and Congressional Democrats the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing. Surely, I thought, there must be good reasons I’m not seeing for what appears to be chronic inaction, constant giveaways to the Republicans, and complete lack of control over the political narrative and discourse of every issue. And we’re destined to start seeing positive change soon, right?

I’m not holding my breath.

Assuming the health of our country continues to crumble, as it seems destined to do, I don’t blame the Republicans. They’re doing a masterful job of using their financial influence and narrative techniques to accomplish their long-term goals and never meaningfully lose any power. I don’t see the Republicans facing many significant political losses in our lifetimes — they play the game ridiculously well, and they keep getting even better at it. I can’t blame them for trying to win and succeeding.

I blame the Democrats. It’s their fault for constantly losing, bickering so much amongst themselves that even when they’re technically in power, they’re really not.

Welcome to the United States of America. You can choose between the Republicans and the Republicans. One pretends to care about religion, and the other pretends to be a vague alternative to the first.