Something for Nothing

Politics runs on emotion rather than reason, which is, I suppose, common knowledge. Everything we do runs on emotion. We make our choices.

CHIP funding had run out last week. Children were beginning to die.

Over the weekend the Republicans and Democrats in the senate struck a deal. The Democrats got medical funding for 8 million poor kids (of all races), a billion medical dollars for Puerto Rico and more. The Republicans got three extra weeks to come up with a budget. Not settled in this deal was DACA . (No one brought up the fate of the other 90% of Latinos without papers, older people—they can expect merciless persecution.) The Republicans, President Chaos and my favorite politicians of the left have called this deal a GOP triumph.

I’m no longer a Democrat, but I have a major emotional commitment to funding medical care for 8 million poor kids, so the Democrats made headway with me. They got something important (CHIP) in exchange for a patch of time. But getting something for nothing wasn’t satisfying. No heads rolled. A one-sided deal does not satisfy the need to fight symbolically to the end. (?)