The main reason I think Obama should not compromise on the ACA.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

I think that delaying the ACA would be a bad thing.

I think that the shutdown of the US government would be a bad thing.

I am a long way from being certain that delaying the ACA for a year is a greater evil than a government shutdown, *if those were the only two things in the scales*.

But...


It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbour and to say: --
"We invaded you last night--we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: --
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say: --

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that pays it is lost!"


If the Republicans learn that they can get their way by threatening to shut down the government, they will introduce more and more even more extreme demands. If you give in to hostage takers, they go on doing it, so the least worst option, sadly is to tough it out, even if that's fairly catastrophic.

[pnwmom]

1. I agree. If we don't stop it now, they'll just do it over and over again,

with possibly even worse consequences.